The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-01
OPIUM.

This drug, which is now so often referred to in con-
nexion with the affairs of China, first became an ar
tcle of traffic between the English and Chinese in
l773, when the British East India Company made a
small adventure of it from Bengal to China. The
importation steadily increased to degree unprece-
dented in the annals of commerce, till the crisis of
1889 effected by the complaints and remonstrances
of the Chinese government And no wonder they
did complain and demonstrate against trade so de-
structive and demorazing in its effects In addition
to draining the country of its silver and exhaustng
its resources it tempted the natives from life OF
honest industry to one of dissipation and vice.
Opium is the nspssated juice of the poppy. 1t is
derived from the species called Papavee Somnlierum
The opium consumed in Europe and America comes
principally from Turkey while China is supplied from
the productions of India. An oil is sometimes ex-
racted from the seeds of the poppy and is extensive
ly used for culinary purposes in Germany and the
Netherlands. For this purpose it is cultivated in
some parts of Europe The ancient Romans it will
be recollected, differed materially from US moderns
in their diet-they made great use of many yegeta-
bles to which we are not accustomed. The seeds of
the poppy were by them made into cakes and pastry
The cultivation of the poppy is simple process, and
attended with no difficulty. SOIL of the best quality
however, is requisite. Opium in its crude state is
obtained from white milky juice, which exudes
from ncisions made round the capsules or seed YES
sells This is done in the cool of the evening, and be-
ing hardened by the heat of the next days sun is
scraped off every evening. r.
Inc opium uauc was inc SUBJECT Ol several icC-
lures delivered before the Franklin Institute in Phla-
delphia, by DR.. Driver, and reported in the Daily
Chronicle from which these facts have been CLEANED
The method of using the drug was thus described by
the lecturer as he had witnessed it in China:
"The quantity consumed daily varies in different
indivduals-some smoke one candarcon or less
some three, some ten, some twenty, more
One end of small rod, stick, is dipped into the
extract, and small quantity taken up, and after be-
ing held for moment near the blaze of lamp, is
crowded into the bowl of pipe, which, unlike the
common tobacco pipe, has the bowl placed short
distance from the end. The smoker now assumes
reclining posture couch, lays his head pillow,
puts the pipe into his mouth, and lifting the bowl to
the blaze of the lamp, commences inhaling-this is
continued for few moments, then the pipe is taken
from the mouth to be reflled and the fumes esurey
pulled from the mouth The process is repeated
some fifteen times, each more and more lcisurely the
whole occupying perhaps half an hour. Before the
ends the is full of smoke the smoker has
become exceedingly loquacious, utterng all manner
of things which come into his head-hnally, he be-
stupid, falls asleep, and is lost amid the vaga-
ries and fantasies Of his Imagination
In respectable hotels, the allotted to this pur
pose always some retired part Of the house, and
constructed as to escape the notice Of those not
prvy to it.