in the materia medica, is an inspissated juice, partly of the resinous and partly of the gummy kind, brought to us in cakes from eight ounces to a pound weight. It is very heavy, of a dense texture, and not perfectly dry; but, in general, easily receives an impression from the finger: its colour is a brownish yellow, so very dark and dull that at first it appears black: it has a dead and faint smell, and its taste is very bitter and acrid. It is to be chosen moderately firm, and not too soft; its smell and taste should be very strong, and care is to be taken that there be no dirty or stony matter in it.
Opium is the juice of the papaver album, or white poppy, with which the fields of Asia Minor are in many places sown, as ours are with corn. When the heads are near ripening, they wound them with an instrument that has five edges, which on being stuck into the head makes at once five long cuts in it; and from these wounds the opium flows, and is next day taken off by a person who goes round the field, and put up in a vessel which he carries fastened to his girdle; at the same time that this opium is collected, the opposite side of the poppy-head is wounded, and the opium collected from it the next day. They distinguish, however, the produce of the first wounds from that of the succeeding ones; for the first juice afforded by the plant is greatly superior to what is obtained afterwards. After they have collected the opium, they moisten it with a small quantity of water or honey, and work it a long time upon a flat, hard, and smooth board, with a thick and strong instrument of the same wood, till it becomes of the consistence of pitch; and then work it up with their hands, and form it into cakes or rolls for sale.
Opium at present is in great esteem, and is one of the most valuable of all the simple medicines. In its effects on the animal system, it is the most extraordinary substance in nature. It touches the nerves as Leake's Eye were by magic and irresistible power, and steeples the Dijonais of seneces in forgetfulness; even in opposition to the determined will of the philosopher or physiologist, apprised of its narcotic effect.
The modification of matter is infinite; and who shall truly say by what peculiar or specific configuration of its parts, opium, even in the quantity of a single grain, administered to the human body, shall assuage the most raging pain, and procure profound sleep?
The action of matter upon matter, thus exemplified in the effect of opium on the animal system, is not less astonishing and incomprehensible, than that of spirit upon matter or the agency of mind on the motive powers of the body.
The first effects of opium are like those of a strong, stimulating cordial, but are soon succeeded by universal languor or irresistible propensity to sleep, attended with dreams of the most rapturous and enthusiastic kind. After those contrary effects are over, which are generally terminated by a profuse sweat, the body becomes cold and torpid; the mind pensive and desponding; the head is affected with stupor, and the stomach with sickness and nausea.
It is not our business, neither is it in our power, to reconcile that diversity of opinion which has lately prevailed concerning the manner in which opium produces its effects; or to determine whether it acts simply on the brain and nerves, or, according to the experiments of Fontana, on the mass of blood only.
Opium is the most sovereign remedy in the materia medica, for easing pain and procuring sleep, and also the most certain antispasmodic yet known; but, like other powerful medicines, becomes highly noxious to the human constitution, and even mortal, when improperly administered. Its liberal and long continued use has been observed greatly to injure the brain and nerves, and to diminish their influence on the vital organs of the body. By its first effects, which are exhilarating, it excites a kind of temporary delirium, which dissipates and exhausts the spirits; and, by its subsequent narcotic power, occasions confusion of ideas and loss of memory, attended with nausea, giddiness, headache, headach, and constipation of the bowels; in a word, it seems to suspend or diminish all the natural secretions and excretions of the body, that of perspiration only excepted.
Those who take opium to excess become enervated and soon look old; when deprived of it, they are faint, and experience the languor and dejection of spirits common to such as drink spirituous liquors in excess; to the bad effects of which it is similar, since, like those, they are not easily removed without a repetition of the dose.
By the indiscriminate use of that preparation of opium called Godfrey's cordial, many children are yearly cut off; for it is frequently given dose after dose, without moderation, by ignorant women and mercenary nurses, to silence the cries of infants and lull them to sleep, by which they are at last rendered stupid, inactive, and rickety.
Opium is universally known to be used as a luxury in the east. Mr Grose informs us, that most of the hard-labouring people at Surat, and especially the porters, take great quantities of this drug, which, they pretend, enables them to work, and carry heavier burdens than they otherwise could do. Some of these, our author assures us, will take more than an ounce at a time without detriment. Many people in opulent circumstances follow the same custom, but with very different motives. Some use it merely for the sake of the pleasing delirium it occasions; others for venereal purposes, as by this means they can lengthen the amorous congress as much as they please; though they thus are certain to bring on an absolute impotency and premature old age at last. For this purpose it is usually taken in milk; and when they have a mind to check or put an end to its operation, they swallow a spoonful or two of lime juice, or any similar acid.
Besides these effects of opium, it is said by the Indians to have a very singular one in bringing on a seeming heaviness of the head and sleepiness of the eye, at the same time that it really produces great watchfulness. It is also considered as a great inspirer of courage, or rather insensibility to danger; so that the commanders make no scruple of allowing large quantities of it to the soldiers when they are going to battle or engaged in any hazardous enterprise.
The best opium in the world is said to come from Patna on the river Ganges, where, at least, the greatest traffic of it is made, and from whence it is exported all over India; though in some parts, especially on the Malay coasts, it is prohibited under pain of death, on account of the madness, and murders consequent upon that madness, which are occasioned by it; notwithstanding which severe prohibition, however, it is plentifully smuggled into all these countries.—The soil about the Ganges is accounted best for producing the strongest kind of opium; of which the following remarkable instance is related. "A nabob of these parts having invited an English factory to an entertainment, a young gentleman, a writer in the company's service, wandering about the garden, plucked a poppy and fucked the head of it. In consequence of this he fell into a profound sleep; of which the nabob being apprised, and likewise informed of the particular bed out of which he had taken the flower, expressed his sorrow; acquainting his friends at the same time that the poison was too strong to admit of any remedy; which accordingly proved true, and the unfortunate gentleman never awakened."
Opium applied externally is emollient, relaxing, and disfectant, and greatly promotes suppuration: if long kept upon the skin, it takes off the hair, and always occasions an itching in it; sometimes it ulcerates it, and raises little blisters, if applied to a tender part. Sometimes, on external application, it allays pain, and even occasions sleep: but it must by no means be applied to the head, especially to the sutures of the skull; for it has been known to have the most terrible effects in this application, and even to bring on death itself.
It appears, too, from some curious experiments made by Dr Leigh, to act as the most powerful of all styptics. "Having laid bare the crural artery of a rabbit (says the Doctor), I divided it, when the blood instantly flew out with considerable velocity; some of a strong solution was then applied to the divided artery, the ends of which in a short space of time contracted, and the hemorrhage ceased. The same experiment was performed on the brachial artery with like success."
The effects of a strong solution of opium upon the heart, appears from the same experiments to be very extraordinary. "I opened the thorax of a rabbit (says the Doctor), and by dissection placed the heart in full view; the aorta was then divided, and the animal bled till it expired. After the heart had remained motionless ten minutes, and every appearance of life had ceased for the same length of time, I poured on the heart a quantity of my strong solution; it was instantly thrown into motion, which continued two minutes; I then added more of the solution, and the action was again renewed. By thus repeating my applications, the motions of the heart were supported more than ten minutes. I afterwards opened the thorax of a rabbit, and, without doing any injury to the large blood-vessels, placed the heart in view. A quantity of my strong solution was then applied to it, which so accelerated the motions as to render it impossible to number them: by renewing the application, these were continued for some considerable time. The surface of the heart now appeared uncommonly red, and continued for some time."
Opium contains gum, resin, essential oil, salt, and earthy matter; but its narcotic or somniferous power has been experimentally found to reside in its essential oil.