To ———— TRIESTE,
We received your honored letter, dated Messina, with great pleasure, and hasten to give you the information you desire, hoping and wishing that both an agreeable and useful connection may arise from it, for which purpose we shall not fail to give your House direct information, respecting the articles you mention. Opium is found here in different qualities, the goodness of which chiefly depends on the conscientiousness of those who prepare it. The best quality coming from some districts of Asia consists of the pure juice, which flows spontaneously from the incisions made in the poppy heads, is inspissated and formed into little balls. It has eminently all the qualities which are requisite in good opium, and contains from 8 to 10 per cent, and more, of morphia. This sort is the most in request among the druggists in Germany and France, to be sold by retail to the apothecaries, but scarcely forms the 8th or 10th part of all the Turkish opium which comes to the market. Next to this is the ordinary quality, coming from the other provinces of Asia Minor; where in preparing it, they are less cautious, partly pressing the poppy heads, in order to get as much juice as possible, partly scraping the juice that has oozed out too hard, by which certain mucilaginous parts of the plant, and shavings of the rind get mixed up with it; in this way that kind of opium is produced, which is so often sold, and at Trieste bears the name of Tarense opium.
By this proceeding, of course, the morphia is lessened, and often in a great degree; but in the Chinese market, in proportion to which, the consumption of the article in all other countries is scarcely to be reckoned, little or no regard is paid to {46} this, which explains why the latter inferior article always brings nearly as high a price as the former pure quality. Besides these, several sorts of adulterated opium are sold, some of which are prepared, (principally for the North American market,) by mixing in the juice of the whole plant, or other substances.—The difference of the qualities would be best perceived by a collection of samples, which we should be glad to send you, if you would tell us where to direct them. The price of the aforementioned prime quality, which we call “Gúeve,” from the district which chiefly produces it, is now 102⁄3c. for the English pound, free on board. The current second quality, 101⁄3c. The price of the adulterated is much lower, in proportion to the amount of the adulteration; which, however, in most cases, is not discernible by the exterior. The prices are, of course, principally regulated by the Chinese market; yet the more or less considerable crop produced is not without influence. So especially now, the growers show little inclination to sell, as the new plantations are endangered by a continual want of rain.—Nevertheless, probably after two months, when the new crop begins to come to market, we may be able to buy cheaper than now, if the news from China should not cause the price to rise.
As regards scammony, almost everything that has been said respecting opium is literally applicable. The difference in quality depends upon the way of preparing it, while the plant from which it is taken is always the same. The best sort is the pure dried juice, which spontaneously flows from the incisions made in the root of the plant; the next quality is produced by a strong pressure of the root. These two qualities go in commerce by the name of the 1st and 2nd scammony d’Aleppo, which name, however, is wrong, as Aleppo produces the 1st quality, but only in a very small quantity, whilst the greater part comes from several districts of Asia Minor. Then follows the so called quality of Skilip, a district that produces much, but where they have the bad habit of trying to gain in the weight, by adulterating the pure substance. The adulteration is made in several ways; the least injurious of which perhaps is, {47} that they add (as in opium), the pressed or boiled out juice of the whole plant; the not inconsiderable quantities of this sort, which are yearly brought from the interior, find a good sale in Europe, which would hardly last, if a sufficient quantity of the before mentioned finer qualities were to be had. Besides these, a number of other sorts are sold in Europe, under the name of Smyrna scammony, which consist of a hard and heavy mass, but contain only a very small part of the real scammony.
With this article it would also be necessary, as we said with the opium, to explain our statements by sending you samples, which we will do if you desire it. The finest prime sort is seldom found, and is now entirely wanting. It would sell readily at the rate of 211⁄2c. per pound, English. The good second quality brings according to the sort, from 18c. to 153⁄4c. a pound, free on board, but is also now very scarce, and will, in the course of two or three months, be more abundant in fresh quality. Of the Skilip sort, there are several quantities in the market, according to the quality, at the price of 13 to 10s. 10d. an English pound, free on board.
Of the oil of roses, there is, properly speaking, only one genuine quality, with only little difference in odor, but with remarkable variation in the facility with which it congeals, which property is almost generally considered an essential proof of its being genuine, but without reason; as we have ascertained by much experience, during a long sojourn in the country where it is produced. Several reasons may contribute to this difference in congealing, but the chief one may be considered, the difference of soil, and method of preparation. We give our principal attention to the article, and have founded an establishment at Kissanlik, where it is chiefly produced, through which alone we make our purchases, and must do so, in order to have the attar genuine, as we have experienced, that all the essence without exception that is sold here, second hand, is far from pure.
The common method and the one now almost exclusively adopted of adulterating it, with geranium essence, may be known {48} to you, and that it really is the most in use, you may conclude, from the price of the genuine article having been for a long time much higher at the places of production, than the price of that which is sold as prime in Europe. This fact has only lately been noticed in Europe, therefore in the price current of Trieste, for instance, you will find the genuine article noted, beside the prime article, with a considerable difference of price. What at London is designated as prime quality, is only a mixture of 60 to 70 per cent. essence of rose, with 30 to 40 per cent. essence of geranium. Samples will also prove this to you, more clearly. The price of the genuine attar is, to-day, 223⁄4c. for an ounce, at 10 drachms, according to which the English price current may be understood; in six or eight weeks after the preparation of the new crop, we hope to buy cheaper, but at what rate we cannot yet judge, as this depends on the produce of the crop. There is some cheaper and adulterated, and which is only bought by ignorant persons. This oil comes by caravans from the interior of Asia, and in spite of all our inquiries, we could not succeed in getting any sure information, about the plant which produces it, or the method of preparation.
ON CHLOROFORM AS A SOLVENT. BY M. P. H. LEPAGE, OF GISORS.
Hitherto, attention has been mainly directed to the manufacture of chloroform, and the study of its anesthetic properties. Many chemists, however, have casually noticed the power it possesses of dissolving essential oils, fixed fatty matters, camphor resins, (even those which dissolve with difficulty in alcohol and ether, such as copal resin, for example,) iodine, bromine, vegetable alkalies, india rubber insoluble in alcohol, and but slightly soluble in ether, and, finally, gutta percha, insoluble according to M. Vogel, in both these menstrua. {49}