Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-03-22
The Opium Smokers Of Virginia City.

The Opium Smokers OF Virginia City.
The increasing number of young peo-
pie OF both sexes addicted to opium smok-
ing and chewing is really alarming. A
Chronicle reporter has made inquiries
concerning those who frequent the opium
dens, and some Of the names given to him
would give a shock to the community
were they published. Girls Of only fifteen
andyoung men from fourteen to twenty five
years of age are ha6stues Of these loath-
some dens of vice. Sing Woh, the pro-
prietor Of den on the corner Of II and
Union streets, informed the reporter that
he had kept the place for years. When
he first engaged in the business his
patrons were almost exclusively Chinese.
Every year the number Of his patrons has
steadily. increased, while nyyoung men
and girls have learned the habit in his
place. During the first year his sales of
opium to those persons were only ninety
four ounces; second year, 1872; third
year, 200; fourth year, 394; fifth year,
561. This enormous consumption OF
opium will be understood when it is
known that some young girls are now
smoking as. many as seventy-five pipefuls
per day. To be sure the Chinese opium
pipe holds but little mot more than from
three to five grains, apothecary's weight,
still scyenty-tye times five grains is an
enormous consumption. The opium used
by the Chinese for smoking purposes is
compound of pure opium and sweetened
poppy juice, and though a pound of it
does not possess the narcotic properties of
quarter Of pound of pure Turkey
opium, yet it is sold by the Chinese mer-
chants here at an exhorbitantly high
figure, pound of the preparation costing
four or five times as much AS IA pound of
pure opium could be bought for in San
Francisco. Many people are familiar with
the structure of the Chinese pipe and the
mode of preparing the drug before smok.
ing. 1t is subjected To a heating process,
which the lovers OF the drug believe eX-
pels the poison from the compound and
at the same time hardens it, A small
instrument Of steel wire, resembling an
old-fashioned knitting needle, is employed
for the purpose Of rolling the morsel OF
opium into a cylindrical shape before lay
ing il into the very small bowl of the
pipe, The opium when thus prepared
does not lie on the cavity of the bowl, but
on the top OF it. 1t is then held over the
lamp and "A dozen whiifs taken and in
hailed, when another piece is prepared.
Conversation with few of the opium
smokers reveals the fact that the small
apparent effect produced on the system by
the first few pipetals was the principal
reason of their adopting and continuing
the habit. They made their first essay at
smoking with feelings of dread. Know
ing that il was rank poison they watched
for speedy results, and were resolved not
to follow up the habit. They smoked one,
two, four and six ~pipetuls without OK
periencing any Of the effects of opium ex-
cept u slight dizziness Opium became,
therefore, not an indul gence to be dreaded
They kept on smoking pipeful after pipe
tul until they became hopelcssly intoXi
Gated, and had taken such an amount of
the poison into their systems that con
tinuance OF die dissipation was necessary
to relieve them from the after effects. The
Chr0nicle reporter then visited the den of
Sung Woh, who corroboratcd all the state
mcntS made by Sing Woh. Although he
has n very small establishment he has no.
ticed the same terrible increase in the sale
OF opium in late years mentioned by Sing
Won. These two propric,ors furnished
the reporter with the names of twenty
two young white persons, male and female,
who irequented their establishments. The
reporter inquired as to their Whereabouts,
and had about fifteen OF them pointed out
to nim. They We're all beginning to look
like Cinnamon and women-pale, vel
low sireaked countenances, blackish and
yellowish blue circles around the eyes,
eyes dull and CLASSY, vacant expression to
their features, the mouth especially; and
dense Precipitation OF the forehead and
head, They exhibit no ambition except
IL eat, sleep and smoke opium. Sung
Woh stated that troops of young men and
women--as Dany rs ten al time, visit his
den nearly every night. They settle them
selves on the coucheS, regardless of sex
and lie there in a stupid, narcotic sleep
till morning, when the effects of the drug
have passed away. They lie on the beds
huddled and mixed in every shape intent
only on gratifying their degrading habit
There are many persons in this city adj
dicted To the use of morphine, the effects
of which are not nearly SO severe as those
OF opium. This drug contains at least
eight different alkaloids, some OF them
directly contrary in their effects on the
system, and yet not antidotcS for each
other. They are meconic acid, NOR
phine, iodine, thebane, pappaverine
narco,ine, narceine and mcconine. The
complications arising from the use OF
opium almost battle the attempts of the
physician in his endeavors TO cure the
habit. The chewing of the betel nut is
also becoming growing habit among a
certain class of young people here. This
Is West India nut, which, when chewed
with small proportion Of slaked lime,
produces intoxicating effects similar to
those of haSheesh. Sing Woh stated that
many Jonng girls come To his place and
first claew the betel nut until they are de