Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-03-14
TIE OPIUM HABIT.
ITS Alarming Growth


The drinking system is more deadly
and demoralizing evil than tho opium
plague of the far East. The consump-
ton of this drug, indeed, is not confined
to the Chinese and Mohammedaus. Its
use, in fact, is very largely extended i'll
this country, altogether apart from it's
| legitimate use rs q medicine For many
years now it has been extensively admin
istered to infants by monthly nurses, or
by ignorant, idle, and unnatural mothers,
in the form of Godfrey's Cordial, and
other soothing syrups. In consequence,
thousands of these little ones suffer from
almost constant narcotism, and are either
poisoned out of the world ere they have
seen the end of their first year, or they
grow up sickly, with depraved appetites
and weakened intcllects, to fall victims in
after years to the vice of intemperance.
1t is our conviction, founded on extensive
observation, that the injury done to the
nervous systems Of children by the ad-
ministration of these nostrums, leads, in
after years, to the development of the
drunkard's appetite, and the misery of
the drunkard's career.
The use Of opium is also increasing
most alarmingly on the part Of our adult
population not, as was once stupidity as
serted, amongst the teetotalers. We are
acquainted with several confirmed cases
of opium eaters. Some take it in the
form of paregoric elixir, others in the
form of laudanum, and some, again,
gulping down the solid drug 1t is no
doubt used excessively in adulterAting
beer and ale
DR.. Pereira says: "There is great rea-
son to believe that the practice of opium
eating is very common in this country
among the lower, as well as tho middle
classes The consumption of opium is
very great, and wholly disproportionate
to the quantity required for medicinal
purposes. From an official report Just
the last five months the enormous guam
, tity of 63, ,3S4 lbs had been imported into
the country, the quantity for the last
month was 9,699 lbs. s.'-M1terio Mcdica
Says DIR. Alfred Taylor in the Times
1S64), speaking Of certain districts not
remarkable for temperance, and referring
more particularly to northampton, Ply
mouth, and Merthyr-Ty :-"Immense
quantities are sent into these districts,
+ and the retail druggists often dispense rs
, much as 200 lbs of laudanum Il year. In
one district the average annual cousump-
, ton is calculated to be at least 100 grains
of opium per head. 1t is sold in penny
sticks or pills and a well accustomed
, shop will serve 300 or 400 customers on
Saturday night. A man in South Ian
cashire complained that his wife had
a spent f100 in opium since she was mar
, ried. ="
These are sad disclosures. and it would
seem we are in danger of being inunda-
| ted with the ravages of opium eating
! even as we are now with the ravages OF
+ alcohol-drinking. The same law OF mar
cotics-that use generates abuse-gov'
, erns both practices, as we'll as tobacco
q smoking. Whether the late Act to Regu
a late the sale of Poisons, which came into
q force ON January lst, 1869, has had any
+ effect in checking this evil, we have not
|, been able to ascertain
! As warning to our readers, we shal
v now describe the effect of opium eating
y y upon the Chinese, they being more addict
ed to this vice than perhaps any other IA
h ton.
;. The Alliance American COMMISSIONS
+ (Dr Lees) writes to the alliance NsCs
h under date, November 27th, 1869, as fol
IS lows At Chinese camp, i'll California,
4 took pains to go among the Chinese, no
v only to their shops, where | saw man
4 buying opium, but to their homes, wher
,s | saw them smoking it. | also visited a
as hospital, and saw two men dying of tn
N atrophy which the habit brings on.
.. was sorrowful scene of 'death-in-life
!. Already dead to all work, all emotion, al
thought. / saw few CLEANS Of memor
light up their parchcd faces and dulle
eyes as, in smoking the drugs at intervals
they doubtless thought themselves one
more in the far, familiar home which the
e. would never again behold And yet thi
as baneful habit does not produce the hol
le rible effects of alcohol-does not so eI
lp danger society, and disturb the foundi
OF tions Of government, because it does NJ
10 so disturb, demoralize, and demonize tn
ut soul"
an In the British and Foreign Medict
ch RcrietO (vol. iv. p. 39i), DIR. Oppenheil
d. thus describes the effects OF opium-eatin
r, upon the Inhabitants Of Turkey and Pc
ed sla
lie 1.-The causes leading to the use of oplu
It's are many, and among them may be reel
at oned the following Long continue
OF diarrhna, as a remedy for which opium
&C. used in the first instance, and its use a
re terwards continued from habit no era
lr- ing !; chronic coughs, in which opium
he drunkards also frequently have recour
So to opium MS new stimulus, after the
p, have abiured wine in fit Of repentanc
at Persons holding high offices, or digniu
ce, in the state, have also recourse to opiur
I. when the preservation of their charact
Tas forbids them the use of wine some We
in strict believers also take opium as I
let storative in cases of great exertion,
hit the Tartars (cOuricrs), who travel WI
raj astonishing celebrity. Opium eaters ge
n orally begin with doses of from half
lat grain to two grains, and gradually
AK crease the quantity till it amounts to tN
led drachms. and sometimes more, n da
'ge they usually take the opium in pills, b
al avoid drinking any water after havl
the swallowed them, as this ID said to prouu
yht violent collc. 70 make it more palat
hat BILE, it is sometimes mixed with syrul
MS. or thickened Juices but i'll this form 1t
iad less intoxicating, and resembles mead ;
'at, is then taken with n spoon, or If dried
eg, small cakes, with the words Mash Ala
lirs the work of God, imprinted on them.
ats "The habitual opium eater, is instal
ave ~ recognized by his appearance to
attenuation Of body, withered, yell
ats countenance, lame gait bending of t
au- spine, frequently to such degree as
nd, assume n circular form, and CLASSY, dee
let sunken eyes, betray him at the fl
,za glance. The digestive organs are III
the highest degree disturbed the suffer
cat eats scarcely anything, aud has hare
the one evacuation in a week his men
ess and bodily powers are destroyed-he
of impotent. BY degrees, as the habit
tier comes more confirmed, his strength CO
no tinues decreasing, the craving for
ont stimulus becomes ever greater, and
,se. produce the desired effect, the dose m,
hat be constantly augmented. When
of dose of two or three draehms day
is longer produces the beatifc intoxicat
IL 4 L 4 l. Ill