126 
ASSAY  OF  A  PURE  OPIUM. 
yield  a  deep  red  coloration  with  sesquichloride  of  iron,  and  was 
treated  with  a  slight  excess  of  chloride  of  calcium,  the  gelatinous 
precipitate  collected  on  a  filter,  washed,  suspended  in  a  fluid- 
ounce  of  water  at  190°  F.,  an  excess  of  dilute  hydrochloric 
acid  added,  filtered  hot,  and  allowed  to  stand  some  hours. 
The  crystalline  granular  precipitate  of  bi-meconate  of  lime  was 
collected  and  treated  with  hot  diluted  hydrochloric  acid,  when 
the  meconic  acid  in  colored  crystals,  separated  on  standing,  was 
washed  and  dried. 
The  original  undissolved  residue  of  the  opium,  weighing  33 
grains,  was  now  treated  with  coal  oil  benzine,  nearly  pure,  uAtil 
exhausted,  and  the  dark  liquid  evaporated  until  all  the  benzine 
was  removed.  A  soft  elastic  residue  of  caoutchouc  was  obtained, 
weighing  11  grains.  This  probably  contained  some  narcotina 
and  other  principles  as  resin  and  fixed  oil,  but  it  was  not  further 
treated — the  chief  object  of  its  extraction  being  to  show  by  its 
quantity  a  sufficient  cause  for  the  softness  of  the  opium  in  the 
absence  of  the  usual  percentage  of  moisture. 
The  residue  left  by  the  benzine  was  incinerated  in  a  platinum 
crucible,  yielding  0*5  gr.  of  light  fawn  colored  ash. 
The  result  from  100  grains,  therefore,  is  as  follows  : 
Morphia,        .       .       .       *       .       .       .       .  15-75 
Narcotina,  impure,      .......  2-00 
Meconic  acid,         .......  5*25 
Caoutchouc,  fatty  matter  and  resin,     ....  11*00 
Insoluble  residue  (including  0*5  of  ash)  .  .  .  22-00 
Matter  soluble  in  water,  other  than  salts  of  morphia  and 
narcotina,  as  gum  extractive,  etc.,*  .  .  .  38-50 
Water,  5-00 
Messrs  Rosengarten  &  Sons  meanwhile  made  an  examination 
of  this  opium  for  morphia,  for  their  own  satisfaction,  and  ob- 
tained about  15  per  cent.,  which  corroborates  this  result  for  that 
ingredient,  the  discrepancy  in  amount  being  due  to  more  careful 
manipulation  in  this  assay. 
No  examination  was  made  of  the  gum  or  extractive  ingredi- 
ents.   On  the  whole  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  opium  obtained 
*  No  attempt  was  made  to  isolate  either  codeia,  narceia,  meconia  or 
other  well  defined  principles  of  opium  existing  in  small  quantities. 
