“Neither can we ascribe the energy of opium to the white crystalline substance called narcotine, or opian, extracted from it by the solvent agency of sulphuric ether; for Orfila assures us that these crystals may be swallowed in various forms by man, even to the amount of 2 drachms in the course of 12 hours, with impunity; and that a drachm of it dissolved in muriatic or nitric acid may be administered in the food of a dog without producing any inconvenience to the animal. It appears, however, on the same authority, that 30 grains of it dissolved in acetic or sulphuric acid caused dogs that had swallowed the dose to die under convulsions in the space of 24 hours, while the head was thrown backwards on the spine. Oil seems to be the most potent menstruum of narcotine; for 3 grains dissolved in oil readily kill a dog, whether the dose be introduced into the stomach or into the jugular vein.
“Since a bland oil thus seems to develop the peculiar force of narcotine, and since opium affords to ether, and also to ammonia, an unctuous or fatty matter, and a resin (the caoutchouc of Bucholz) to absolute alcohol, we are entitled to infer that the activity of opium is due to its state of composition, to the union of an oleate or margarate of narcotine with morphia. The meconic acid associated with this salifiable base has no narcotic power by itself, but may probably promote the activity of the morphia.”
Opian or narcotine, and morphia, may be well prepared by the following process. The watery infusion of opium being evaporated to the consistence of an extract, every 3 parts are to be diluted with one and a half parts in bulk of water, and then mixed in a retort with 20 parts of ether. As soon as 5 parts of the ether have been distilled over, the narcotic salt contained in the extract will be dissolved. The fluid contents of the retort are to be poured hot into a vessel apart, and the residuum being washed with 5 other parts of ether, they are to be added to the former. Crystals of narcotine will be obtained as the solution cools. The remaining extract is to be diluted in the retort with a little water, and the mixture set aside in a cool place. After some time, some narcotine will be found crystallized at the bottom. The supernatant liquid thus freed from narcotine being decanted off, is to be treated with caustic ammonia; and the precipitate thrown upon a filter. This, when well washed and dried, is to be boiled with a quantity of spirit of wine at 0·84, equal to thrice the weight of the opium employed, containing 6 parts of animal charcoal for every hundred parts of the drug. The alcoholic solution being filtered hot, affords, on cooling, colourless crystals of morphia.
This alkali may be obtained by a more direct process, without alcohol or ether. A solution of opium in vinegar, is to be precipitated by ammonia; the washed precipitate is to be dissolved in dilute muriatic acid, the solution is to be boiled along with powdered bone black, filtered, and then precipitated by ammonia. This, when washed upon a filter and dried, is white morphia, which may be dissolved in hot alcohol, if fine crystals be wanted. See [Morphia].
Opium, quantity of,
| Imported. | Retained for consumption. | Exported. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year. | Libs. | Libs. | Libs. |
| 1885. | 85,481 | 31,181 | 74,126 |
| 1836. | 130,794 | 38,943 | 70,824 |
Duty, at present, 1s. per lb.
OPOBALSAM, is the balsam of Peru in a dry state.
OPOPONAX, is a gum-resin resembling gum ammoniac. It is occasionally used in medicine.
ORANGE DYE, is given by a mixture of red and yellow dyes in various proportions. Annotto alone dyes orange; but it is a fugitive colour.