Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/52

OPORTO 30 OPPENHEIM cent.), the most important alkaloid, nar- cotine, codeine, narceine, thebaine, pa- paverine, meconic acid, meconin, resin, and fat, together with other substances, the composition of which is not clearly established. In pharmacy, in small doses it produces brief excitement, and then acts as a soporific. In large doses the sleep becomes coma, and death ensues. It is given to allay pain and spasm. OPORTO, an important city and sea- port of Portugal, on the Douro, 2 miles from its mouth, 174 miles N. E. of Lis- bon. Situated on a steep declivity on the right bank of the river, the appearance of Oporto from the sea is picturesque and imposing. Oporto possesses many churches and convents, but no monument worthy of a special notice. There are four colleges, an academy of navigation and commerce, a school of medicine and surgery. Manufactures include silk, cot- ton, woolen and linen fabrics, ropes, to- bacco, soap; also, shipbuilding. The har- bor within the bar across the mouth of the Douro can only be entered by large vessels at high water. Owing to her sit- uation, Oporto has an extensive com- merce. The principal export is a red wine called port, produced on the banks of the Douro. The climate is generally damp and foggy; in winter the cold is very severe, but in summer the winds from the E., S., and W. moderate the intensity of the heat. Oporto occupies the site of the ancient Portus Cale, from which the name Portugal is derived. It was taken and sacked by the French in 1805. Pop. about 200,000. OPOSSUM, in zoology, the popular name for the pouched mammals which have a geographical range from the United States to Patagonia. They vary OPOSSUM from the size of a mouse to that of a large cat, and have long noses, ears, and (generally) naked prehensile tails. The Virginian opossum (Didelphys virgin- iana), common over all temperate Amer- ica, is the best-known of the family. The crab-eating opossum inhabits cen- tral and tropical South America. Lord Derby's opossum, like some others which have been placed in a separate group, has no pouches in which to carry its young; they commonly ride on their mother's back, twining their prehensile WATER OPOSSUM tails round hers. The Murine opossum> no larger than a common mouse, is bright red, and ranges from Central Mexico to the S. of Brazil. The most re- markable of the group, the three-striped opossum from Brazil, is reddish-gray, with three deep black bands down the back. OPOSSUM SHRIMP, the popular name of several species of Mysis, a genus of small crustaceans. They receive their name from the females carrying their eggs and young in a pouch between the thoracic legs. OPP, JULIE (MRS. WILLIAM FA- VERSHAM), an American actress, born in New York, in 1871. She first ap- peared on the stage in 1896 in London, and was leading lady with Sir George Alexander for five years. She later was engaged by Charles Frohman and ap- peared as co-star with William Faver- sham for many years. She was married to Mr. Faversham in 1902. Author of "The Squaw Man." She died April 8, 1921. OPPELN", a town of Prussian Silesia, on the Oder, 51 miles S. E. of Breslau. Since 1816, when it was erected into a seat of government for Upper Silesia, the town has been much beautified both with new edifices and with parks and gardens. Its church of St. Adalbert was founded in 995; and there is an old castle on an island in the Oder. The manufactures before the World War in- cluded pottery, cigars, cement, beer, leather, etc., and there was a consider- able trade in grain and cattle. OPPENHEIM, E. PHILLIPS. Eng- lish novelist. He was born in 1866, and received his education at Leicester, Eng. He started writing in his teens and his work has achieved popularity in the United States and in Europe. His books include: "Enoch Stone"; "A Man and His Kingdom"; "A Millionaire of Yester- day"; "The Survivor"; "The World's