Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-10-11
From The British Jonraall
SUPPRESSION OF THE OPIUM
TRADE IN CHINA

ana even now The bearings oil II are but very
partially understood in Great Britain In |
China, however, the case is far different, the |
baneful effects ofthis trade having for some
time past engaged the serious attention Of
the Supreme Government, and persons Of
the highest lank and talent having taskcd |
their faculties TO devise some means bv |
which the fearful progress ofthis evil might
be arrested
The facts ofthe case resovle themselves in.
10 the following heads lst The demon.
aizing effects Of opium upon the uhabitab;s
OF that country I'd, the extent TO which il is |
introduced Sd, the manner OF its introduce
ton and lastly, the light in which The
Chinese look upon US as engaged in this lrRf !
nc, and the means they have taken for its
suppression.
The use of opium for the purpose OF ex.
hilirating the spirits has long been known in
Turkey and syria, but in those countries
the poisonous drug is either taken as a pill or
chewed after the manner oftobacco. In Chi.
ia. however, the mode OF using il commonly
adopted is that of smoking, although there
are some few who use il in much the same
way as tis used in Turkey and Syria
The following is the manner in which il is
prepared The opium is imported into
China in crude state, the packages Of il
having attained certain degree OF consis-
iency those packages are dissolved in no,
water, and the extract thus obtained is dri-
ed, and smoked through pipe. It's effects
when taken in this way. are precisely analo-
gous TO those ofswallowing il in its crude
STATE. Opium shops are TO be found in all
the streets OF China, just MS public houses
and gin-palaces are 10 be seen here. and the
wretched victims OF this degrading vice.
aeeced of their nil, are to be seen hanging
their heads at the doors Of these shops, and
in many cases. shut out from their dwellings
by angry relatives or ruthless creditors, are
left 10 die implied and despsed in the
streets.
A native artist, named Sunqua. residing in
China.s,reei, Canton. has executed some
paintings on rice paper, which. forming Sc.
res, are six in number, and which. in fact,
are an exact counterpart of Hogauh's ia
nous Rake's Progress. The design Of
these pictures is 10 show the progress OF the
opium smoker from health and prosperity 10
misery and degradation. The first of those
pictures represents young man. the son Of
gentleman OF fortune, richly alfred. and in
his right is a chest Of treasure, gold and sill
yer; and on his left personal attendant, con-
SANITY employed in preparing the crude ar
ticle pure based and brought 10 the house Tor
his use. In the second OF these pictures he
is reclining on superb sofa, with pipe in
his mouth. surrounded by courtesans, two of
whom are young, in the character Of
musicians. His money now flies without
any regard TO lis amount The third of
these pictures represents him, after short pc
riod Of indulg ence, with countenance sal.
low and haggard with high shoulders and
naked teeth. and moping on very ordinary
couch, with his pipe and other smoking APP
parntus lying by his side. Al this moment
his wives. OF his wife and concubne come
in; the first, finding the chest emptied Of its
treasure, stands frowning with establishment,
whilst the second gnzts with wonder at what
she sees spread on the couch. In number
four his houses and lands are all gone, his
couch is exchanged for rough boards and a
jagged mattress, his shoes are off his feet,
and bis face half awry, ms he sits bending
forward and breathing with great difficulty.
The fifth represents him scraping togeth-
,r few copper cash, with which he hur.les
10 one OF the smoking houses TO buy little
of the scrapings from the pipe Of another
smoker, 10 nllay his Unsuitable cravings In
The last OF these pictures he appears MS a
confirmed sot sitting upon a bamboo chair,
continually swallowing the faces OF the
drug, so foul that tea is required TO wash
them down, his wife and child seated near
him, and, by winding skeins OF silk from
bamboo reels, earning for themselves and
him the means Of dragging ou. a miserable
existence. These pictures are to be consid-
cred, not as the result OF singular notion
! in the mind of an insulated individual, but as
indications of the general sense of large
class of the community in reference 10 this
degrading vice.
The extent TO which this pernicous drug
has been introduced into China by our own
countrymen during the last twenty one years
has been such as TO show tenfold increase
The mode of cullivating il in India is Tins
described. The ryot, or immediate cultra-
Tor of the soil, selects piece of ground.
which BY repeated plougbings be makes
completely fine, removing all the weeds and
grass. The field is then divided into
squares, with dykes running IN all directions,
lengthweys and crossways. A pit or sort 0!
well is dug ut the end Of the field, from
which, by u leathern bucket, water is raised
into one Of the principal dykes, and IN this
way is conveyed into every part oil the held,
Ms required The seed is sown in Novem-
ber and the Juice is collected in February
and March, usually during period Of about
six weeks, AS soon as the plants spring up,