Report ... on the adulteration of drugs. 2nd March 1838.

  • Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report ... on the adulteration of drugs. 2nd March 1838. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/26 (page 13)
    fluid-ounce avoirdupois ; and, by a process directed towards the separation of the morphia contained in these laudanums, their value proved to be such as mayberepresented for the sakeof clearness and simplicity by the numbers 120 and 130 respectively. With these facts as the basis for comparison, I have examined laudanum from no fewer than seventeen shops, fourteen of them in this city, and three in one of the chief county towns in Scotland. The re¬ sults are given in the following table, from which it may be infer¬ red that, according to one method of examination, the difference between the laudanums of the shops in point of strength is in the ratio of three to one, and that by the other, probably more accu¬ rate method, the actual difference in value is even greater. Solid part Relative of 1 Jl. oz. morphia. r L r i i i 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. f 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. in. I 18. <j 19. f20. I 1 Prepared by myself from finest Smyrna Opium Do. Do. also from fine Sm. Op. somewhat inferior, Do. Do. from inferior opium, From one of the best class of shops in Edinburgh, From another do. do. From a third, do. do. From a fourth, do. do. From a fifth, do. do. From a sixth, do. do.' From a second-rate shop in Edinburgh, From another, do. do. From a third, do. do. From a fourth, do. do. From an inferior shop in Edinburgh, From a second, do. do. From a third, do. do. From a fourth, do. do. From a shop in a county town, From another of less repute in do. From a third, do. do. 22.1 19.1 21.0 17.1 10.0 20.2 20.8 12.3 18.0 20.8 22.7 14.6 20.6 13.4 13.0 9.0 7.2 16.8 17.5 15.8 130 120 90 130 40 80 80 35 90 100 90 The deficiency in No. 8 was probably accidental, because the druggist knew to what purpose his laudanum was to be ap¬ plied,—which, it may be well to add, was not the case in any other instance. In the instance of No. 5, however, accident could scarcely account for the defect; for the laudanum from the same shop was twice found defective at an interval of six months ; and besides it evidently contained some extraneous colouring matter. No. 20 also contained a large quantity of adventitious colouring matter, which, when the morphia was removed by ammonia, gave the liquid a dark crimson tint. II. Having mentioned these examples of adulteration,—which