Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-14

TOT many years amounted 10 Out ABOUT
1000 chests per annum. In 1920, the
export reached 5000, 900 pounds. Since
that time its progress has been very rapid
till it now reaches near u million pounds
annually, from India alone, besides small
er quantities from Turkey. The amount
imported annually into the United States,
is between 10000 and $4,000 pounds,
valued at nearly $4OO, 900. The princi-
pal consumption of the article is in China
and Turkey, in the former country over
10 million of pounds being consumed
annually, where it is consumed in
smoking, with almost as much UNIVERSAL
ty by the natives as tobacco is in this
country. The lethargic character of the
people of those voluptuous countries, en-
ervated and rendered oblivious to the
pursuits of hardy industry, is
Attributable TO great degree to
the excessive and incessant use of
opium. And it must be confessed
that during the last thirty years, the prac-
tice of using this deleterlous drug has
largely increased in the United States.
Druggists could tell tale of dissipation
that would sstonish our sober-mInded,
thinking people. Many delicate wO-
man, many q devout worshipper, as well
J as talented lawyers and clergymen and
| professional men, are addicted to its use,
knowledge of which would make the
cheeks of their friends crimson with
shame. Every literary reader remembers
the pitable condition into which the brill
iant and gifted Coleridge brought himself
by its excessive use. The vivid play of
his brilliant fsncies the lofty swoOps of
splendid and esgle-like intellect chilled
and brought down by the indulgence.
De Quincy, too, one Of the brightest
stars that ever glowed or glittered in the
intellectual armament, was dimmed and
obscured and faded forever from the fir
mament whilst flashing its most dazzling
corTuscations. Twice he broke from its
letters, but the insidious serpent had
again in folds deadly as those that held
LAGOON, till finally the death fang quiv-
cred in his heart, and its pulsations CEASED
forever.
Deleterious, however, as its excessive
use is demonstrated to have been, there
is no drug or compound of more impor-
lance than it is, and at the same time
the difficulty of procuring the pure, una
dullerated article in consequence of the
admixture of leaves, stems, etc has be-
come so manifest that the complaint in
this regard among pharmacists, druggists
and physicians have become general and
wide spread.
That it can be made profitable in this
country has been demonstrated by expert
ment, and that pure article can be OBJ
tanned from the American poppy has also
been most clearly demonstrated.
In 1859 Mr.. Robbins, of Vermont,
planted about fifteen square rods of land
in peoples, rows two feet apart, hills one
foot apart. 1t was in growth from June
1st to October 1st. The heads were
punctured only once day, in the after
noon; he cut small gsshes in the sides,
being careful not to cut through the in
side. The opium was scraped off the
next morning and dried on plates in the
Sun. He did not get over hslf the opium
that might have been obtained, and yet
the experiment proved profitable and sat-
isfactory. With this result in the
cold region of Vermont, here faI
greater yields and more satisfactory re-
suits may be expected, and has, indeed, al.
ready been demonstrated. Several Of
our most esteemed and energetic gentle
men have given the subject deep, earnest
and s1licitOus attention. Among these
we mention DR.. j. W. Morton, the well
known druggist on the Public Square.
He has cultivated the poppy with the
most gratifying success. The first year
he tried it he comparatively failed on &C
count of late planting. He has offered
liberal premium for the best ounce Of
Tennessee grown opium, or if produced
in any part of the South. He procured
some seed from Smyrna and some from
Calcutta, through Consul General Jacobs
and began his first experiments. Sine,
then other parties have turned their at
tention to the culture of the poppy
Chief among these is Rev. Fountain
E. Pitts, who lives two miles north Of
Nashville, on the Gallstin pike. After
I three years trial he has succeeded in &C.
( curing the true opium poppy, as pro