The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-08
OPIUM AND IT'S EATERS.

EXPERIENCE.
The New York Sun draws this terrible
picture of the growth of the habit of opium
eating in America: One hundred thousand
victims of the opium habit in the United
States! Such is moderate estimate of the
number who are held In the clutches OF this
terrible passion. And yet il is probable that
the number of the wretched slaves OF THIS
rapidly increasing vice Is larger than The
figures given would indicate. The basis
of the calculation is the amount of opium
reported in the custom house returns, and
which represents the importations of the
dug at New York, principally. But there
is large amount obtained from Other
sources, and the cultivation of the poppy on
our own soil to supply the constantly grow
ing demand for the stimulant may well be
regarded with alarm. AS appears from the
information given in another part OF this
article, the plant is cultivated
not only in the warmer lati-
tudes of the United States, as in
Arizona and California. but in Connecticut,
New Hampshire and Vermont. The prOnt
derived from the cultivation of the poppy
is so large that with the increase ofthe habit
of opium eating there is certain to be cor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in the area of land de-
voted to the production of the plant. When
it is understood that during the last five
years there has been an increase OF from nifty
to seventy-five per cent. in the
NUMBER OF OPIUM EATERS
throughout the country, apprehensiOns may
well be entertained of the impulse which
such increase is certain to give, not only to
importations of the drug, but toit cultiva-
ton in this country. II mo means are
taken to arrest the rapid progress of the
- -.
poppy occupy the position of q formidable
rival to the tobacco plant. 1t is particularly
deserving of notice that the increase in the
of opium as stimulant be-
gan about the year 1910, when the agitation
for prohibitory legislation against the liquor
traffic was under full Roadway. Several
states were convulsed by the movement,
and fierce controversy was waged between
the pros and the cons. The disintegration
of parties was threatened, and in more than
one state gubernatorial candidates were
elected on this single issue. Before this
crusade against alcoholic beverages, the use
of opium, except as a medicine, was almost
wholly unknown. A few cases In the large
cities might have been found; but when the
war against the popular stimulants was
wsged so hercely it led to the introduction
of substitute more insidiOus and
ruinous in its effects upon both the mental
and the physical organization. Before this
date, that is in 1910, opium was entirely free
from duty. No sooner, however, bad tax
been imposed on its importation than, con-
trary to all expectations, the amount re-
ceived at New York and other ports grsdu-
ally and steadily increased year after year
until it has now reached the annual supply
of 200 tons. The quantity consumed for
medicinal purposes has kept steady and reg
ulsr pace with the growth of population,
while the
INCREASE IN THE USE OF OPIUM
as a stimulant is immensely In excess
thereof There is hardly village that has
not one or more opium eaters, and in the
large cities they are counted by hundreds
and thousands. An estimate of the number
IN the whole country fixes it at one hundred
thousand, aud this is probably rather under
than over the actual figures The use of
opium has grown so alarmingly prevalent
hat it has been made a matter of serious
by more than one health board
with the view of arrestiDg the progress of the
svil and providing a remedy. DR.. Bow
ditch, of the Massachusetts, State Sanitary
Inspection, saVs that throughout the Old
Bay state, in the towns and villages, opium
eating has, according to the reports obtained
from great many localities, largely in
creased. In the town of Worcester one
druggist reports that opium is used 20 an
alarming extent. From apothecaries in
Chicopee comes the admission that they have
"a great many customers" and the signifi-
can't report is made by Boston druggists
that "the sales of preparations of opium to
he country trade are out OF all proportion
70 those of other drugs" OF course gil
who are addicted to the use of this potent
stimulsnt do not indulge 20 the
same excess. De Quincy, whose name is in
separately connected with opium, consumed
lOa toh
,hirty-two OF pure morphine. The dose va
res according TO the capacity or inclination
If the person, one taking one ounce or laud-
inum, anotner nine ounces weekly, and still
another two ounces monthly. II IS told Of q
merchant in this city that he took three wine
glasses of the liuuid form daily. And DR..
says he was told by Boston drug
,ist of habitual customer who was in the
labit Of buying
A DRACHM AT A TIME,
me half of which he took on the spot, and,
having disposed of the remainder on tie
blowing day, called for draught contain
pg an ounce and half each of laudanum
md brandy. No apparent effect followed
his enormous dose. The great increase in
he consumption OF opium has given an i'm
,ulse TO it's production at home, making it
probable that Turkey and India may yet |
ihNo u'di III Wis couutL5. ~ appeais,
rom the statement of Mr.. S. Dana Hayes, |
me OF the state assayers of Massa-
husetts, that the home production |
Increases every year. In fact, we
re told that opium is now made /
rom white poples, cultivated for the pur-
lose in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Con-
lecsicut, the annual production being esti-
mated by hundreds OF pounds, and this sup
ly is generally absorbed in the towns in
Th1ch it is raised. Florida and Louisiana
ave also contributed their share, and Cali
)rnia and Arizona are large producers. It
said that the yield In Arizona is twelve
undred pounds to every ten acres. At
sven or eight dollars pound for the crude
um, this is a paying business. The native
plum, it is true, is not equal to that i'm
orted, but our proverbiel ingenuity will in I