The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-14
Opium ana NIorpIlIa.
OPh"aI "IN Nk0IPI1tA.
us opium used In Philadelphia was
lak p6 of q drllniIiok ronnnAIx, --I -

| ueheu vi druggist recently.
''ies, was the reply, 'sand It is not
confined to the Chlnanen, either. Do YOU
know what opium lsa Well, 1t is Juice
obtained from the unripe capsules Of the
poppy, extensively cultivated in Aslatlc
Turkey, Egypt and India. China has Of
late years (tesplte tho heavy penalty for
Its use) culIivated'the plant to great ex-
tent, but Its quality Is said to he greatly
inferior to the Indian and Is chiefly used
for the purpose of adulteratiou, This
juice Is evaporated and finally makes Its
appearance here In the shape Of fiat cakes,
about five lnchesn square, covered with
leaves. The manufacturer fully under
stands his business, as stones, bullets,
buckshot, pieces Of scrap iron frequently
ale snugly lmbedded IN the centre OF the
opium cake and when you consider that 1t
is purcf lsed ny weight, that it Is worth $5
and often through monopolles SIP, per
pound, the scrap iron assumes considerable
Importance. ,.,,N a.,5...,.. 9g.
''It Is from opium that laudanum and
Its principal alkaloid, morphis, Is prepar-
ed. It's uses are indicated by It's name
to act as an opiate amt the general relief
from pain from any causes whatsoever.
Is ls the tavorltc poison for suicldes, from
the fact, perhaps, that 1t ls the easiest OBJ
tainable. Where almost every respectable
druggist would hesitate to sell prusaic acid
arsenic, strychnia, or morphia to an adult
nine out of ten will dispense laudanum
with free and easy way, even to children
as though 1t were as harmless as water.
Many begin It's use, likely, because III
snull doses it produces excitement and ex-
hilaralion and general feeling Of 1 own
the whole world The desire to tocxperience
these results, finally leads TO a consumption
friphtful to consider, although its chief at
traction has vanished, doubt that when
liquor ceases to be strong enough the topper
resorts to laudanunl. 1t Is only when that
dread sleepiessness suizes on him, when
visionary reptiles Enthusiastically wind and
dance about him, that he seeks 10 baulsh
them and find natures restorer' III opium.
Parcgoric and the many soothing and cough
syrups have for their bases morDhia and
opium. When the baby is fretful; has the
collie, is teethlng, keeps the family awake
it Is dosCd with parcgoric or some other
preparation. Thus the desire Is lnstiled
very young. know of boy and a. girl,
aged respectively twelve and six years,
who began in this way until finally the
boy received tablespoon and the girl
tcaspoonful OF laudanum three times daily
-whyp don't know, but l TO know,
whenever the boy visited the store Instead
Of asking for licorsce, plctulo card or
other tritlos used by energetic druggists
to pander to the unsophistlcated youthful
mind, this boy invariably asked for a'dose
Of laudanum (And his doses wcro no small
| Ones) as bribe Tor The retention OF his
mothers custom.
Son one occasion during my temporary
absence flom tho prescription counter he
seized tho opportunity to swallow two
ounces, or four tablcspoonfuls at single
draughl He refused aud laughed ut all
cmetics. anxlously awaited the result;
but no alarming effects followed. The
usual dose tor I'll adult ~ about 10 drops:
for u boy Of twelve, 1876 drops, con-
tanning one grain OF opium, and 70 II grains
frequently proving fatal. A tablespoon
coma ns about 400 drops, 80 this boy ac-
tualy drank 900 drops, or forty times
tho regular dose for an adult, and sufficient
to kill twenty FIVE boys unaccustomed to
its use. His sister, @ years elo, received
600 drops daily, aud her, brother 1900
daily, probably as negative tood, for no
boy can cat and sleep at the same time.
Stlll Its effects are not always 80 frlghtful
as is generally imagined. know OF an
old woman aged 70 years who takes about
three OLnces-six tablespo ontuls daily,
g 400 drops). She has boen indulglng
for the past 45 years and still pursues her
vocation, which ls scrubbing from morn
ing till night, with no apparent dlminutlou
OI Strength.
''Tho sulphate Of morphia Is the more
gentoel way OF using ls, principally On ac-
count OF being less nauseous and mole
easily administered, the hypodermc syr-
inge being the favorite way, as on account
of direct contact with the circulation 1t
acts moro quickly. Society girls, craving
foa rest, use morphla, and whom once NOR.
phla or opium comes homo to roost 1t
generally remains aud 1t takes Irm.
strong will to Danish 1t. In experimenting
began with one eighth OF grain, the
regular dose, and in SIX weeks took one
grain (cDough to kill oiio unacoussomcd)
with lmpunty. am acquainted with Is
man who consumes fifteen grams Of NOR
phla daily Tor enough TO XIII fifteen men,
equally distributed and taken at a slugle
dose.) One-elghth grain morph,a equals
thrce-quartcr gram of opium; one grain
present 100 drops Of laudanum, or 2, $50
drops daily. or nearly sixty times the
regular adult dose. This simply demon
sLrates To what dagren ,ta naa ron shn omlti.
yated. All question Of exhilaratlon now
ceases; the man under its use becomes a
mere automaton: his brain Is III q COM
pletely fuddled state, incapacitating him
from any business--and, strange as 1t may
seem, physicians and women are oplum's
principal votarles. Statistics do not show
many deaths from excess Of opium. Un-
like liquor, 1T destroys no organic matter
and no LESSONS are found after death. IL
operates principally upon the brain and
nervous system, which accounts for tho
feeling OF excitement it produces in mo-
derate doses. There is probably not
druggist IN the city but that has his regu-
lar opium and morphia customers--averag-
Ing at least five each--and as there are
about eight hundred druggists the number
OF consumers can safely be quoted at four
thousand. The use, on an average one
aud a.haf ounces per day, at a COST Of
about twenty cents Per one and a half
ounce. representing an aggregate = $500
aday, or $500. 600 per year--and' TINS
amount !, mostly expended by those In
humble circumstances" {ti#Si ,g!;
LIE addition OF q little mace to d veal
soup will give an agreeable flavor to it..
DO not put in enough to make 1t q dis
tinct favoF, but put 1t iii with the herbs