A
TEXTBOOK OF PHARMACOGNOSY
By T.C. Denston. B.Pharm (London) F.R.I.C., F.P.S.
Compiled and Edited by Ivor Hughes
Part
2.
LATICES, DRIED JUICES, AND EXTRACTS
Opium
Practical Work 1. Examine and compare specimens of Opium, noting the following characters �
The odour is distinctive, being most pronounced in Turkish opium.
2. Turkish "Druggists'" Opium, as formerly imported, was in flattened, conical or irregular cakes, weighing 150 to 2000 grammes, wrapped in whole poppy leaves; in the cases ("chests") used for export, agglomeration of the cakes was further prevented by packing in dock fruits, and some of these were usually to be found adhering to the surface of the cakes. The consistence was firm at the surface but internally granular and heterogeneous.
The colour was reddish-brown, usually darkening with age, and the odour characteristic. "Soft Shipping" Opium was similar to the above but softer, with a moisture content up to 30 per cent, and homogeneous internally. Macedonian Opium bears a general resemblance to the former Turkish "Druggists'" Opium, but the cakes usually weigh 500 -1000 g. and may exhibit a more uniform appearance when cut across.
3. Apply the following test to show the presence of meconic acid � Extract 0-lg. of opium by warming with 5ml. of water, filter and to the filtrate add a few drops of ferric chloride solution. A deep purplish-red colour is produced. Add a few drops of dilute hydrochloric acid. The colour is not destroyed. Meconic acid occurs solely in opium and the above reaction is utilized to determine whether opium or its purified alkaloids are present in a preparation.
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