6 4
PAPAVER
somniferum.
Extracted from the Dictionary of
Extraction of the Crude Drug from Poppy,
MANUFAC-
TURE.
Leaves.
Trash.
dissolved in dew or in moisture absorbed from the atmosphere; it has a
peculiar smell, is strongly acid in reaction, and contains meconic acid,
resin, morphia, and narcotine. Pasewa does not appear to be always
present in opium, but is produced under certain atmospheric conditions. It
is said to be never present, for example, in opium collected during strong
westerly winds or in the absence of dew.
Leaves.—The flowering period of the poppy crop is from about the
middle or end of January until the beginning of March. The formation of
the petals is carefully watched by the cultivators. When ready to fall
they are collected in the following manner. The base of the flower is
encircled by the operator's forefinger and thumb; the hand is drawn gently
upwards and the matured petals at once detached without any injury to the
capsule. Care is taken not to pluck the petals before they are mature, as
that would cause a loss of juice from the wounded surface; nor are the
petals gathered when moist, as they are then apt to become discoloured
and to partially ferment. The petals are then made into what is depart
-mentally known as "leaves." For this purpose an earthen plate is placed
over a slow fire and on it is spread a handful of petals. These are covered
with a moist cloth, above which is pressed a damp cloth pad until the
steam from the cloth, acting upon the resinous matter contained in the
petals, cause them to adhere together. The thin cake of petals thus
formed is turned over in the earthen plate, and the process of pressing and
consolidation repeated on the reverse side. These thin sheets pasted to
-gether with lewa form the shell or outer casing of the "provision" or
Chinese opium. When fresh they have a pleasant fragrant smell which is
supposed to impart to the Bengal drug its superior aroma. Cloth, silk,
wax, and many other substances have been recommended and even tried,
though unsuccessfully, as substitutes for the tissue of cemented petals.
For cake-making three qualities of petal tissue are recognised. The first
quality is known as chandi: it includes the silver-like petals of fine texture
and colour: the second quality is known as dawan : the third quality as
gatha or the thicker and coarser kinds. The terms dawan and gatha are
chiefly in use in the Benares Agency: in Behar the terms are first, second,
and third qualities of chandi.
The collection of the petals and the preparation of the "leaves" is a
favourite task of the females of the cultivator's family, who generally ap
-propriate the proceeds. The females of high caste cultivators, however,
who are not accustomed to work in the fields (such as Brahmins, Rajputs,
&c.) do not make "leaves." Hence these cultivators having to employ
hired labour regard the preparation of "leaves" as a hardship. Where
fuel is also scarce the preparation of leaves is looked upon with consider-
able disfavour, and for these two reasons it would appear to be more
difficult to procure "leaves" in Behar than in Benares. The "leaves"
are packed in baskets and brought into the Agencies by the cultivators on
dates fixed by the departmental officers usually commencing in the Behar
Agency about the 10th or 15th March, and in the Benares Agency a little
later. Each cultivator's leaves are separately sorted and weighed, after
which their value is placed to his credit in the accounts at the prescribed
rates of R10, R7, and R5 for leaves of the first, second, and third quality
respectively. The weighments of "leaves" begin earlier than that for
opium, and are usually over in 15 days. The sum paid for leaves is
generally about from R70,000 to R1,40,000 in each of the Agencies.
Tr a s h . — T h e p o u n d e d s t a l k s a n d l e a v e s o ft
h e p o p p yp
l a n t a r e K n o w n
technically by this name. The substance is employed in packing the
cakes. To prepare "trash" the plants are left standing in the fields till
dry. The leaves and thinner parts of the stem are then collected and