Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-08-21
OPIUM IN CHINA.
Numerous Laws Forbfddfng the
Smoking Of the Drug Intellectual.


A correspondent of The New Orleans
hcayune writes: The public docu-
ments of China state that opium was
once a notorious contraband article in
that country. The laws of China are
promulgated by public edicts of the
emperor Under Rca-King opium was
regarded as medicine. and admitted
into the ports of China only under
heavy duty.
The viceroy of Canton forbade its use
IN 1873. and the penalty for smoking
pariook of corporal Punlshments. Ex-
posure in the p'llory, Punishment, and
slavery, with strangulation, was resort
I'd to TO eXterminate this degrading
vice. but all to no purpose.
That these measures should lead trade
(ever ready with its lynx eyes) to
swallow cOmpunction of conscience is
no great wonder; piratical opium
crafts. called crabs. or scrambling
lragoas. cruised around the offing. and
i became necessary to establish fresh
Jaws to drive them away. Yet. when
the acts of a whole people and its gov
arnment concur to show that a law has
fallen into Il suSe. it can not be sur
prising that ordinary subjects. bound
by neither allegiance nor by affection,
should pay these laws a scrupulous re-
Spect.
Linton and Wampoa were the prom
inent places for mandarin to trade. In
canton seventeen out of every twenty
persons smoke. The growth of the
poppy is cultivated on the hills. and
ppium dens are as plentiful in China as
in shops in England. These places
are generally fitted up with bamboo
screens hung before the door. and it is
TO these resorts that all grades flock,
from the pampered official to the abject
menial.
How easy il is to trace mans charac-
teristic craving for luxury in this vice.
When opium smoking was considered
IN idle pastime only the sons of for
tune, wealthy travellers. and the mem
bers of the court gave excessive indul-
gence to it, but when its use descended
to laborers and tradesman it ceased to
be considered fashionable custom.
We find it, at this period, regarded in
La political and financial rather than .
moral light.
The importation of opium and the
expectation of silver occupied in a
short time no secondary place in the
Celestial empire. Agitators rated the
irug a poison; to some it proved a
balm. 1t is really wonderful to see
how far habit oversteps with poor hu-
manity) the boundaries of reason and
common prudence.
China fostered. encouraged. and sus-
tanned. in a peculiar manner. the use
of this stimulating medicine. 1t is re-
garded as the 'Materia Medica" of LIE
Shechin of the Ming dynasty, and ID
called "Afooyung." After becoming
habituated to its use restless longing
demands its continuance at regular in
tervals. IL is destructive of time, inju-
rious to property and interest. and yet
dear to some even as life. 1t enfeeble,
the breath. wastes the body. bleaches
the teeth, and sallows the complexion
The periodical desire for it comes
round with tottering limbs. trembling
eyes, filmy with childlike tears, and,
when appeased, rushes its victim be
yond recovery.
There are three kinds of opium; on,
is black and comes from Bengal, tn,
red is from Madras, and the white from
Bombay. England claims all thes,
places. Some opium victims think th'
.'home article" does not yield the need
cd stimulus; they are choice and dainty
preferring foreign exports. 1t has fire.
quently been compared to the tobacct
leaf. but that does not destroy the con
stitution. While the poppy needs
rich, fertile bed. tobacco may be cult
waited on . barren soil; yet notwith
standing. where the former Is raised it
influence is widespread and baleful.
In the history of Formosa We lear
that the natives were active and ener
getic, but . people called European
came there and by means of opium
seduced them. causing . mania for thi
drug to spread through the whole m
ton. ALI the Chinese, however, ar
not addicted to this habit
Maces were first smoked. Much Q
the narcotic power is lost BY combui
ton. A small pellet is placed in th
bowl of the pipe, which, when apple
to the lamp. emits bright fame. burn
ing rapidly. so that the smoker onl
gets one good inhalation and one or tw
successive poor ones before 1t is q
hsusted The Same pipe cannot b
smoked twice. Some boil the opium
water, retaining the inhxmush1s q
resinous portion.
Missionaries have claimed that th
opium trade is the main obstacle to th
acceptance of the doctrines Of Chrii
tixnity BY the idolatrous natives II
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