who has taken more pains and better means to get his samples, finds his reports less favorable, while another who adopts a sharp wellmanaged detective system, often succeeds in finding a very different set of samples, and upon them makes a fairer representation of this branch of trade. The writer has no means of reaching this branch of trade in powdered Opium here, nor is it easily reached for such purposes as he now has in view by any one, and the nearer to the source of the adulteration the more difficult is the undertaking. All that could be done was to send to four houses known to be engaged in a pretty sharp competition for the cheaper trade of the market and buy samples of powdered Opium for dispensing uses. One house sold at 55c. per avoirdupois ounce. Two others at 50c. and the fourth at 45c. This is at the rate of $8.80, $8.00 and $7.20 per pound, all of which are fair prices, and afford a fair profit on a fair` quality. These samples when assayed gave respectively, and in the order just named for price, 11.4, 12.2, 13.4 and 13.6 per cent. of morphia, the average being 12.6 per cent. These were, therefore, all made from moist Opium which contained over 9 per cent. The average of these samples is but 0.9 per cent. below the average (13.52 per cent.) of eight samples as given in a former note, which samples came from sources estimated as supplying 75 to 80 per cent. of the powdered Opium sold to dispensing stores in the neighborhood of New York. Therefore, this powdered Opium by its inferior morphia strength was just 43c. per pound dearer than the average of the better sources of the market. By this it would appear that no powdered Opium can be easily had in this market containing less than 9.5 per cent. of morphia (see previous note), and this the only instance out of twelve that was manifestly adulterated, and the only one which when calculated back to the moist condition represented an Opium of less than 9 per cent.

The higher grades of Opium which come into this market under various names, and which can always be easily had when wanted, are really the cheapest Opiums that are sold, as they are very commonly offered at 25 to 50c. per pound above the ordinary market price. The assay of 16 cases of these Opiums of higher quality give an average of just 16 per cent. of morphia, which is about equal to 13 per cent. in the moist Opium. This in all probability is the Opium upon which the doses of the older standard authorities are based.

If powdered Opium containing 14 per cent. of morphia, be sold at $8.00 per pound, one containing 16 per cent. is worth $9.00,

while the latter in its moist commercial condition costs only 25c. to 50c. per pound more than the former.

An assay of two cases of Salonica Opium, of the crop of 1880, has been made since this note was commenced. The Opium was assayed in the moist commercial condition by the process given in a former number of the EPHEMERIS. From being "Old Opium," the lumps were dryer and harder than usual, although kept in the original tin cases, and probably in a cellar, as is the common usage.

The results of the assays were as follows:

or

17.51 per cent. if calculated to powdered Opium. Morphia. Residue.

16.78

Water.
17.23

27.33 per cent.

20.27 per cent if calculated to powdered Opium.

As the morphia from these assays was more colored than usual, the results may be a little too high.

ARTIFICIAL QUINIA.

It is announced, in a recent number of the Comptes Rendus of the French Academy, that Mr. E. J. Maumené has succeeded in the synthesis of quinia by a simple and easy process, and that he has deposited with the Academy a sealed package, describing his process and containing a specimen of the artificial alkaloid. Therapeutic experiments with the artificial substance are still unfinished, but very soon the alleged discoverer will publish detailed statements and evidences of his results.

The result here announced has long been considered as so probable that time and research were alone necessary to its ultimate accomplishment, and the number of artificial alkaloids has been steadily increasing now for several years. But no substance of any thing like the importance of quinia has as yet been made, though much time and labor has been given to it. A similar announcement to this was made some time ago, but so far it has been fruitless, and whether this one will reach any more practical results time alone will show. Many of these announcements with sealed pack.

ages are made to the Academy which are never afterward heard from, so the makers of quinia from cinchona barks need not yet give up their manufactories in despair, although they may believe, with the chemists, that the discovery is only a question of time.

FACTITIOUS JALAP.

A short time since, the writer received several samples of what was offered for entry at the Custom House as Jalap. The substance had somewhat the appearance of Jalap, and was evidently prepared with some pains and care to imitate that drug. On closer examination, however, the larger pieces were found to be a dried and compressed saccharine fruit. Other pieces were roots, having the appearance of false Jalap, but not a single tuber or part of a tuber of true Jalap could be found in any of the samples. Were it not for the inspectors of drugs, such articles would come freely into the markets, and soon be converted into medicinal powders, extracts,

etc.

СОРАІВА.

The writer has recently had occasion to examine four samples from large parcels of Copaiba, the appearance of which was very much against its quality in every sample, and its quality was disputed. It gave no evidences of any of the ordinary adulterations of this article, but simply appeared to be of very poor quality. In such cases there is only one way of deciding upon the quality, and that is by distilling off the oil in order to get its proportion, the oil being the active principle of the drug. The best authorities state that Copaiba should contain 40 to 60 per cent. of oil, and it is the chief object of this note to record the results of these examinations. It does not distil easily in a glass vessel, and the operator will lose his time and apparatus in trying it. It should be distilled

in a small metal still, first with ten times its volume of water, and then twice successively with five times its volume. The oil is carefully separated from the water of the distillate and weighed. A sample of good Para Copaiba was examined for a standard of comparison. This gave 56.1 per cent. of oil. The four doubtful samples gave, respectively, 46.2, 51.5, 40.5, and 43.5 per cent. of oil.

Therefore all these samples, though of very doubtful appearance, were within the range of quality, as given in the best authorities.