The analysis of Sir H. Davy gave the following result:—
| Bombay. | Concan. | |
| Tannin | 54.5 | 48.5 |
| Extractive | 34.0 | 36.5 |
| Mucilage | 6.5 | 8.0 |
| Insoluble matters, sand, lime, &c. | 5.0 | 7.0 |
| 100.0 | 100.0 |
Catechu is in extensive use in India for tanning purposes, and of late years it has entirely superseded madder in the calico works of Europe for dyeing a golden coffee-brown, one pound of catechu being found equivalent to six pounds of madder.
Value of the areca nuts exported from Ceylon to the British Colonies and foreign States in the years named:—
| £. | |
| 1839 | 22,956 |
| 1840 | 23,096 |
| 1841 | 22,428 |
| 1842 | 29,222 |
| 1843 | 27,028 |
| 1844 | 20,978 |
| 1845 | 31,836 |
| 1846 | 34,209 |
| 1847 | 35,723 |
| 1848 | 42,482 |
| 1849 | 31,746 |
| 1850 | 42,907 |
| 1851 | 54,846 |
| 1852 | 52,230 |
OPIUM is the concrete inspissated juice of the white poppy, Papaver somniferum and its varieties, obtained by scratching the capsules and collecting the exuding juice. The plant has been long known, and is perhaps one of the earliest described. It is a native of Western Asia and probably also of the South of Europe, but it has been distributed over various countries.
In 1826 the imports of opium into the United Kingdom were 79,829 lbs., of which 28,329 lbs. were consumed in this country. The imports and consumption in subsequent years are shown by the following figures:—
| Imports. lbs. | Consumption. lbs. | |
| 1827 | 113,140 | 17,322 |
| 1830 | 209,076 | 22,668 |
| 1833 | 106,846 | 35,407 |
| 1836 | 130,794 | 38,943 |
| 1839 | 196,247 | 41,682 |
| 1842 | 72,373 | 47,432 |
| 1845 | 259,644 | 38,229 |
| 1848 | 200,019 | 61,055 |
| 1819 | 105,724 | 44,177 |
| 1850 | 126,318 | 42,324 |
| 1851 | 118,024 | 50,682 |
| 1852 | 205,780 | 62,521 |
Few who have not looked into the statistics of this trade, are aware of the enormous consumption of opium all over the world, but chiefly in China and India.