Opium is the concrete, air-dried, milky juice that exudes from incisions made in the unripe seed capsules of Papaver somniferum (Fam. Papaveracece), an herbaceous Asiatic plant. When Opium is dried at a temperature not exceeding 70° C, and reduced to a fine powder (Opii Pulvis), it should yield not less than 10% of the principal alkaloid, morphine.

Properties:

Pulvis Opii

Pulvis Opii et Ipecac.

Morphinae Sulphas

Codeinae Sulphas

Diacetylmorphinae

Chloras

Apomorph. Chloras

Appearance

Color

Odor

Taste

Do not

Do not

Solubility: H2O

75%

1 in 15.5

1 in 30

1 in 2

1 in 50

C2H5OH

85%

1 in 565

1 in 1280

1 in 50

Incompat.: NH4OH

CuS04

NaHCO3

AgNO3

Ac. Tan.

Tests: FeCl3

Use Tinct.

Use Tinct.

hno3

Pb. Acet.

Ac. Phospho-molyb.

Pharmacodynamics

Narcotic and analgesic

Narcotic and diaphoretic

Narcotic and analgesic

Cerebral depressant

Cerebral depressant

Stim. vom. centre

Use in medicine

Allay pain, Induce sleep

Abortant for "colds"

Hypnotic, Allay pain

Hypnotic, Allay cough

Induce amnesia, Danger!

Induce vomiting.

Dose.

0.06 Gm.

0.5 Gm.

0.008 Gm.

0.03 Gm.

0.003 Gm.

0.005 Gm.

The following official preparations are derived from Opium. From the crude drug:

Extractum Opii, at least 20% morphine. Dose, 0.03 Gm.

Pulvis Opii, at least 10% morphine. Dose, 0.06 Gm.

Opium Granulatum, at least 10% morphine. Dose, 0.06 Gm.

From the powdered drug are made:

Opium Deodoratum - abstraction of narcotine. Dose, 0.06 Gm.

Pulvis Ipecacuanhae et Opii (10% of each). Dose, 0.5 Gm.

Tinctura Opii Camphorata (paregoric), 0.4% Opium. Dose, 4 mils. This is used in Mistura Glycyrrhizae Composita.

From the granulated opium are made:

Tinctura Opii (laudanum), at least 10% morphine. Dose, 0.5 mil.

Tinctura Opii Deodorati, minus narcotine. Dose, 0.5 mil. This is a preferable preparation for simple analgesia.

The official alkaloids of Opium are:

Morphine, M. Hydrochloride, and M. Sulphate. Dose, aa, 0.008 Gm.

Codeine, C. Phosphate, and C. Sulphate. Dose, aa, 0.03 Gm.

Diacetylmorphine, and D. Hydrochloride. Dose, aa, 0.003 Gm.

Apomorphine Hydrochloride. Emetic dose, mouth, 0.01 Gm.; hypodermic, 0.005 Gm.