“The Examining Hall, Opium Factory at Patna India”

“In the Examining Hall the consistency of the crude opium as brought from the country in earthen pans is simply tested, either by the touch, or by thrusting a scoop into the mass. A sample from each pot (the pots being numbered and labelled) is further examined for consistency and purity in the chemical test room.”

- The Graphic reproduced in: The Truth about Opium Smoking, 1882

Image:
Illustrations of the mode of preparing the Indian opium intended for the Chinese market from drawings by Captain Walter S. Sherwill.

Source: Cornell University Library