Derivation.—The concrete, milky exudate obtained by incising the unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum Linne, and yielding in its normal, moist condition, not less than nine per cent of crystallized morphine when assayed by the official process. Opium is imported from Turkey, Asia Minor, Persia, India and Egypt. The Smyrna, or Turkey opium, is the more common variety used in the United States. It occurs in irregular, globular masses, covered with poppy leaves and capsules of a species of dock, weighing from one-half to one pound.
Properties.—In irregular, flattened, more or less rounded masses of variable size, externally grayish-brown, covered with particles of poppy leaves and with occasional fruits of a species of Rumex; more or less plastic when fresh, but becoming hard on keeping; internally dark brown, somewhat lustrous; odor strong, narcotic; taste bitter and characteristic. It yields its medical properties to water, alcohol and dilute acids, forming dark brown solutions. Ether extracts its principles in part.
Constituents.—There are about nineteen or twenty alkaloids derived from opium, but only a few are of any importance so far as their medical value is concerned.
Dose.—Of the crude opium—Horses, 1 to 2 dr.; cattle, 2 to 4 dr.; sheep, 10 to 30 gr.; pigs, 5 to 10 gr.; dogs, 1/2 to 2 gr.
PREPARATIONS
OPII PULVIS—POWDERED OPIUM
This is opium dried at a temperature not exceeding 85° C. (185° F.) and powdered and should not contain less than 12 per cent nor more than 121/2 per cent morphine.
Dose.—Horses, 1/2 to 11/2 dr.; cattle, 1 to 3 dr.; sheep, 5 to 30 gr.; pigs, 5 to 15 gr.; dogs, 1/4 to 3 gr.
EXTRACTUM OPII—EXTRACT OF OPIUM
Composed of powdered opium, 100 parts; distilled water, 1000 parts; sugar of milk, a sufficient quantity. Made by trituration, filtration and evaporation. Assayed to contain 20 per cent of morphine.
Dose.—Horses, 1/2 to 1 dr.; cattle, 1 to 2 dr.; sheep, 5 to 15 gr.; pigs, 3 to 10 gr.; dogs, 1/4 to 2 gr.
PULVIS IPECACUANHAE ET OPII—POWDER OF IPECAC AND OPIUM—DOVER’S POWDER
Composed of ipecac, 10 parts; powdered opium, 10 parts; sugar of milk, 80. The most diaphoretic and expectorant compound of opium.
Dose.—Horses, 1/2 to 1 oz.; dogs, 2 to 12 gr.
TINCTURA IPECACUANHAE ET OPII—TINCTURE OF IPECAC AND OPIUM—LIQUID DOVER’S POWDER
Composed of tincture of deodorized opium 100, evaporated to 80, fluid extract of ipecac 10, diluted alcohol sufficient quantity to make 100.
Dose.—Horses, 1/2 to 1 oz.; dogs, 3 to 12 m.
TINCTURA OPII—TINCTURE OF OPIUM
Popularly Known as Laudanum
Composed of granulated opium, 100 parts; alcohol, 400 parts; water, 400 parts; diluted alcohol to make 1000. Made by trituration, maceration with precipitated calcium phosphate and percolation. Assayed and standardized to contain between 1.2 and 1.25 gm. of morphine in 100 c. c.
Dose.—Horses, 1 to 2 oz.; cattle, 2 to 3 oz.; sheep and pigs, 2 to 4 dr.; dogs, 3 to 20 m.
TINCTURA OPII CAMPHORATA—CAMPHORATED TINCTURE OF OPIUM
Well Known as Paregoric
Composed of powdered opium, 4 parts; benzoic acid, 4 parts; camphor, 4 parts; oil of anise, 4 parts; glycerine, 40 parts; diluted alcohol to make 1000 parts. Made by maceration and filtration.
Dose.—Dogs, 1 to 4 dr.; puppies and cats, 2 to 10 m.
OPIUM DEODORATUM—DEODORIZED OPIUM
Composed of powdered opium, 500 parts; purified petroleum, q. s. Made by repeated maceration, agitation and percolation with purified petroleum benzine. The petroleum benzine removes narcotic and odorous principles, which cause nausea and disagreeable after-effects in opium. Contains 12 to 12.5 per cent of morphine.
Dose.—Same as powdered opium.
VINUM OPII—WINE OF OPIUM
Composed of opium, cloves, cinnamon and sherry wine. Recommended for dogs suffering from diarrhoea.
Dose.—Same as the tincture of opium.
MORPHINA—MORPHINE
An alkaloid obtained from opium.
Properties.—Colorless or white, shining prismatic crystals, or fine needles, or crystalline powder; odorless and having a bitter taste; permanent in the air; soluble in 3330 parts of water. The latter are preferable owing to their greater solubility.
MORPHINAE HYDROCHLORIDUM—MORPHINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Morphine is stirred with hot distilled water, to which hydrochloric acid is gradually added. Morphine hydrochlorate crystallizes out on cooling.
Properties.—White silky, glistening needles or microcrystalline cubes, or a white, crystalline powder, odorless and having a bitter taste; permanent in the air. Soluble in water and alcohol; insoluble in ether and chloroform.
Dose.—Horses and cattle, 3 to 10 gr.; sheep, 1/2 to 2 gr.; pigs, 1/10 to 1/2 gr.; dogs, 1/8 to 1/2 gr. About one-half of these doses for hypodermic use.
MORPHINAE ACETAS—MORPHINE ACETATE
Morphine is dissolved in acetic acid and water and the solution evaporated and crystallized.
Properties.—A white or faintly yellowish-white, crystalline, amorphous powder, having a faint, acetous odor and bitter taste. Soluble in water and alcohol.
Dose.—Same as morphine hydrochloride.
MORPHINAE SULPHAS—MORPHINE SULPHATE
Morphine is stirred into boiling distilled water; diluted sulphuric acid is added until neutralization is attained, and the sulphate crystallizes out on cooling.
Properties.—White, feathery, acicular, silky crystals, or in cubical masses, odorless, permanent in the air, and having a bitter taste. Soluble in water and alcohol, insoluble in chloroform and ether.
CODEINA—CODEINE
An alkaloid obtained from opium by evaporation of the ammoniacal liquid, after the precipitation of morphine. The residue is added to water, precipitated by potassium hydrate, and redissolved in ether, from which codeine crystallizes out on evaporation.
Properties.—White or nearly translucent, orthorhombic prisms, octahedral crystals, or a crystalline powder; odorless and having a faintly bitter taste; slightly efflorescent in warm air. Soluble in water, alcohol, ether and chloroform.
Dose.—Dogs, 1/4 to 11/2 gr.
HEROIN—DIACETYLMORPHINE
This drug is a derivative of morphine, and is now used extensively in human medicine as a substitute for morphine and codeine.
Properties.—White or colorless, crystalline powder, possessing a slightly bitter taste. Insoluble in water, but readily soluble in weak acidous solutions. Heroin hydrochloride is a white, crystalline powder, odorless, soluble in 2 parts of water. Heroin surpasses both morphine and codeine therapeutically in many ways. It increases markedly the inspiratory and expiratory force, while lessening the number of the respiratory movements and exerts a special sedative influence on the respiratory mucous membranes. The drug acts also as a general motor depressant, hypnotic and analgesic, but is not comparable to morphine in these respects. Heroin is about five times more toxic for dogs than morphine. Heroin is particularly valuable in the treatment of all varieties of coughs affecting the dog. The after-effects of small doses are not as nauseating or constipating as morphine.
Heroin can be given in powder, pill or tablet, the Heroin hydrochloride in solution, every three or four hours.
Dose of Either.—Horses, 1/2 to 2 gr.; dogs, 1/24 to 1/6 gr.
Actions.—Opium is analgesic, hypnotic, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, narcotic; also cardiac and respiratory depressant after primary brief stimulation.
Medical Doses.—It dries all secretions except the mammae and skin. The latter being increased, it produces dryness of the mouth and throat, arrests gastric secretions, retards digestion and causes anorexia (loss of appetite); it stimulates the brain by increasing the blood supply; in man it stimulates the mental activity, while in animals it stimulates motor activity; it does not affect the conductivity of nerves, but it prevents the consciousness to pain by paralyzing the nerve centers; the action of the heart is increased and arterial tension is raised; the pupil slightly contracted; the mind at first stimulated, becomes calm, sleep follows, disturbed by dreams and headache; constipation and some depression follows.
Large Doses.—Arrest digestion, cause nausea and vomiting, greatly increase perspiration, prevents the conductivity of nerves, depresses the heart and circulation, impairing oxidation and lowering temperature; it contracts the pupil by stimulating the motor nerve of the eye (in horses it dilates the pupil) and causes intense puritis (itching), especially of the nose, often retention of the urine and soon profound sleep; in some cases coma or delirium, leaving as after-effects nausea, depression, constipation, vertigo, anorexia, nasal puritis and fetid pathological secretions.
Morphine and codeine compared with the action of opium. Morphine is more anodyne and hypnotic; it causes more intense puritis (itching) is less stimulant, less convulsant, less constipating and diaphoretic.
Codeine is a motor paralyzant; it exalts the spinal cord more than morphine and affects the cerebrum less, producing muscular tremors in excess of sedation; it reduces the urinary sugar in diabetes and has a selective sedative influence on the pneumogastric nerve, thus a better sedative in cough.
Indications for the use of Opium:
1. To relieve pain and spasm.
2. To produce sleep.
3. To abort inflammation.
4. To check excessive secretions.
5. To act as a stimulant and supporting agent.
6. As a sudorific (not so active in animals as in man).
Sulphuric ether administered with opium prevents its drying up effects as well as the nauseating and depressing effects. Used for pain from any cause except acute inflammation of the brain. Used in low fevers to support the system when sufficient food cannot be taken, also in irritation of bronchi, bladder, stomach and bowels, as well as the uterus.
In inflammation of the serous membranes which line the abdominal walls (peritonitis) opium can be used freely; combined or alternated with aconite and diuretics is very highly recommended and tends to prevent dropsical conditions.
In inflammation of the serous membrane investing lungs and lining the thorax (pleurisy) opium and aconite will often arrest its development if administered in its first stages.
In diarrhoea and dysentery opium is said to be one of the best medicines we have, it can be combined with acetate of lead, prepared chalk, etc.
In inflammation of the bowels, owing to its effect in binding up the bowels, belladonna alternated with aconite is preferred to opium.
In colds administer Dover’s Powder, or opium, ammonium carbonate, quinine sulphate and camphor.
In spasmodic colic do not use opium, but give hypodermically three to four grains of morphine sulphate; it is non-constipating; also use anodynes, such as cannabis indica, hyoscyamus, etc., are preferable.
In gastritis, opium conjoined with bismuth subnitrate and hydrastis.
In eversion of the rectum or uterus, administer morphine hypodermically to prevent straining.
In muscular spasms opium is very effective.
In cerebro-spinal meningitis opium should be administered early, before exudation has set in, with belladonna and ergot, alternated with aconite.
In diabetes mellitus, codeine is said to be best, as it lessens the amount of sugar in the urine and should be administered by the mouth; if given hypodermically it exerts no influence on the sugar.
In catarrhal diseases administer opium to lessen the discharge.
In Thumps administer full doses of morphine subcutaneously.
In inflammation of the eyes morphine sulphate is very efficient combined with zinc sulphate and distilled water.
Toxic Doses.—Produce cold clammy sweat, very slow heart, diminished quantity of urine, abolished reflexes, coma, the pupil minutely contracted (except in the horse) but dilated as the end approaches and death by suspension of respiration, due to direct action of the poison on the respiratory centers in the medulla.
In case of poisoning. Emetics, stomach pump, permanganate of potassium, grain for grain of morphine, or 10 to 15 grains dissolved in 8 ounces of water, given by the mouth for large dogs, and 1 to 2 drachms of permanganate of potassium in 2 or 3 pints of water for horses. Artificial respiration, striking the body, keep patient moving, empty bladder to prevent absorption.
APOMORPHINE HYDROCHLORIDUM—APOMORPHINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Derivation.—The hydrochloride of an artificial alkaloid, obtained by heating morphine or codeine in hermetically closed tubes with an excess of pure hydrochloric acid.
Properties.—Minute, grayish-white, shining monoclinic prisms, without odor, having a faintly bitter taste and acquiring a greenish tint upon exposure to light and air. It should be kept in small, dark, amber-colored vials. Soluble in water, alcohol, ether and chloroform.
Dose.—As an emetic for dogs, 1/8 to 1/5 gr., by the mouth, and 1/20 to 1/10 gr., subcutaneously.
Dose.—As an expectorant, subcutaneously, horses, 3/4 gr.; foals, 1/2 gr.; cattle, 11/2 gr.; sheep and calves, 1/2 gr.; dogs, 1/10 to 1/5 gr. By the mouth, dogs, 1/40 to 1/25 gr. as an expectorant.
Action and Uses.—It is a prompt and effectual emetic in animals that vomit, acting on the vomiting centers. When 1/5 gr. dissolved in water is swallowed by either man or dog repeated vomiting occurs, but is not followed by so much nausea as usually follows the use of tartar emetic. Increases bronchial, intestinal and pancreatic secretions. Chronic dry bronchitis of dogs is benefited by apomorphine. In pica cattle, 11/2 gr. may be given on three consecutive days, or in recent cases, 3 gr. are given subcutaneously in the same way. It relieves choking in animals by its relaxing spasm and increasing secretion of the gullet. Three-quarters of a grain may be injected under the skin in horses. It should be tried before using a probang, as, if successful, it will act within fifteen or twenty minutes. The alkaloid decomposes in crystal and rapidly in solution, becoming toxic and of a green hue. Solutions should be freshly prepared.
