Abstract
OPIUM is the spontaneously coagulated latex which exudes when the partly ripened capsules of Papaver somniferum L. are lanced on the living plant. On exposure to air, the white, pale-yellow or pink latex turns darkish brown and, increasing progressively in viscosity, finally becomes quite hard. The product, called 'raw opium', is brown and soft inside, and has a characteristic smell and bitter taste. As marketed, raw opium contains about 15 per cent of water, some sugar, salts, albuminous substances and colouring matter. Its most valuable constituents are varying amounts of the meconates of some twenty-five alkaloids, the chief of which is morphine. At the time of collection, the content of morphine in Indian opium is not less than 8 per cent, though 16–20 per cent has been recorded when only latex from first lancings were taken. Narcotine (5–7 per cent) ; codeine (1–2 per cent), papaverine (0·4–1 per cent), thebaine (0·2–0·5 per cent) and narceine (0·5–1 per cent) are also present.
Article PDF
References
Report on the Opium Factory, Ghazipur, by W. A. Davis (Government Press, U.P., India, 1918.)
Bull. Agric. Research Inst. Pusa. 116 (1921); Mem. Dep. Agric India, 6, 1, 2 (1921); 8, 2, 3, 4 (1925); Agric. J. Ind., 6 (1922).
Pharm. J., 98, 255 (1917).
Analyst, 43, 321 (1918).
J. Chem. Soc., 455 (1919); Ber., 2473 (1926).
Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 1, 107 (1935).
Indian J. Med. Res., 18, 5 (1930).
J. Indian, Chem. Soc., 9, 215 (1932).
“A.B.C. of Narcotic Drugs”, by O. Anselmino . (League of Nations. Permanent Central Opium Board. Geneva. 1931.) Report of the Boyal Commission on Opium, 1895. Report of the International Opium Commission, Shanghai 1909 (North China and Daily New Herald Ltd., Shanghai 1909). “Indian Opium”, Bull. Imp. Inst., 1915 “The Truth about Opium”, by W. Brereton (1882).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dunnicliff, H. Chemistry of Indian Opium. Nature 140, 92–93 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/140092a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/140092a0