The Republican journal., 1876-10-05
NUMBER IL
Opium Eating.
From the Providence journal.

. opium customers. Inc lew exceptional drug
glsts who said that they now sell less opium
than they did during the war ascribe the fall
ing off either to local causes or to the hard
times. 1t would not be easy to estimate the
quantity OF opium consumed in this city during
any given time, and it would be still more tiii-
ficult to get at the number of confirmed opium
eaters.
Opium IS seldom, if ever, eaten as whiSkey
is drank, in a crowd, openly and with merry
making. On the contrary, the opium eater
wishes to conceal his habit, and men who have
bought opium regularly at IL given store for Il
dozen years. and whose appearance stamps
them As opium eaters beyond the possibility of
Il doubt, to this day say that they want opium
for IAN old woman who has got in the way of
taking it,"
As most people know, morphine is the active
principle OF opium, while laudanum is another
opium preparation. Morphine is from six to
eight times as strong as crude opium. Opium
is dried poppy juice 1t is brownish and gum
my, and is imported i'll rudry shaped balls or
cakes Opium for eating comes chiefly from
Turkey, and costs - cents an ounce. The eat
er rolls his lump OF opium into little pellets
about the size Of pea and weighing from Il
gram apiece upward. according 10 the strength
OF the dose desired. A grain of opium is Il dose
at first. and TO keep up the effect, the dose is
usually repeated three or four times day. \
much smaller quantity OF morphine i, required.
| An eighth OF grain Is Il dose, and half Il grain
| in Il number of eases has caused DEATH The
| experienced morphine taker has no fears Of
death from TIN, caIi>e, however, and takes his
m0rpnin@ from The point OF his knife without
much regard toWhether the quantity is greater
OF less than any fixed amount. Morp inc is
now the most common prcpalatiou of oujum
and most opium-paterS prefer the W hite nc wtler
to the yellow pills. Morphine, or opium, is
| always taken for its effects. Different people
are very differently affected by morphine but,
rs Il rule the first dose Of morphine upon IL
healthy person of nervous tpmperamp.t i,
! novel and fascinating.
The powder lssolveS upon thc tongue With
out much TASTE and there is no immediate cf-
feet. At the eXpiration of twenty minutes the
tyro would scarcely be conscious of any change
in his sensations But gradually there steals
over him delicious sense of lghtneSs and
elasticity. New strength Greens out INTO the
arms that were tired, and yigor is renewed in
the weary feet. The oppressive languor rises
from body and brain like a veil of for. and all
the senses grow clear. acute and sharp. The
pulses swell and throb, and the sicil, red wine
of life pours like elixir through the arteries
Every breath is Joy. The Old body with its
weaknesses and lis pain seems TO have hccn
| exchanged for Il glorious body elastic power
fu like unto the new created BODY of he lirsr
man. ADAM With this phvscaI cXaltaton
comes too. a quickeniug Of the soul. Old
memories come trooping up the yistn~ of the
past, the scope OF the present rounds into
splendid symmetry, the veil of the future l.,
rent away ANA into the hereafter pierce the
nowcrfliI the brain teens Win nov iLras
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