In 1839, the Chinese government en- deavored to stop the importation of this i pernicious drug into that country, which led to open hostilities and defeat on the part of the Chinese who were obliged to pay heavily for the expenses of the war. To raise this, an extra duty was levied on tea exported, which the English almost wholly paid, thus bearing the full ex penses of the war. The nefarious and successful attempt of England to force en unwilling trade on China reflects indelible disgrace upon that kingdom.
Opian or narcotine, and morphia, may be well prepared by the following pro cess. The watery infusion of opium be ing evaporated to the consistence of an extract, every 3 parts are to be diluted with one and a half parts in bulk of wa ter, and then mixed in a retort with 20 parts of ether. As soon as 5 parts of the etherhave been distilled over, the tic salt contained in the extract will be dissolved. The fluid contents of the re tort 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 narco tine will be obtained as the solution cools.
The remaining extract is to be diluted in the retort with a little water, and the mix ture set aside in a cool place. After some time, some narcotine will be found crys tallized at the bottom. The supernatant liquid thus freed from narcotine being de canted 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, con taining 6 parts of animal charcoal for every hundred parts of the drug. The alcoholic solution being filtered hot, af fords, on cooling, colorless 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 mu riatie 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.)