The Lamar register., 1891-03-14
HORRORS IN THE POPPY.
THE ANCIENT MANuFAcruer
OF OPIUM.
a" aeaieiuai Propertis. w.r, Kpo,, IA ~
''' ih.a Two thousand Tear. Ago
lis Origin was In the soa,hr.,,
Part Of asia

southwest Asia The medicinal prpn.
critics II Possesses we're raeoonizaa
from very ancient period Two
thousand years ago and for some tim.
,a'er' II was customary to extract the
erus from The entire plant From The
uFs' 10 the twelfth century the oplv
opium known to commerce. va.
that produced Ia Asia Minor IT,
poppy WAS carried to India br ,hs
spread OF Mohammedanlsm, and In
the province Of Benga aud Malwav
the growing of It became subseoueD,Iy
proprietary right Of the great mo
gul' who regularly iarmed out the
privilege ''
lhe plant was introduced to China
oy the Arabs later on. In India, how.
ever the moaoply OF It's cultivation
passed in l557 into the hands Of tho
East India company through Lord
Ii!Ve's victory at Plassey. From that
'ine to this opium has been an euor.
nous source OF revenue TO England
from india- The emperor OF China
tried his bast to exclude It's eTporta-
iion - his kingdom. even ISSUING
edicis against the smoking OF oplum
d1soeedienoe OF which was punishable
by transportation or death. Never
ihcicss. 80 rapidly did the vice spread
In tho Flowery Land that. whereas up
10 nearly the close Of the eighteenth
century tho importation OF opium
from India iato China amounted to
oaly so chests By 1890 1t had amount
Cd 70 l7.O0l chests
10 isS9 The Chinese male procla-
nation threatening hostilitiss in case
EuGil-h opium ships serving Us do
pots for tho drug we're not sent Tway.
At The samo time 1000 chcstiuls were
seized and destroyed. Each chest con-
tsincd about $50 pounds and the en-
tTe value Of the merchandise thus
wiped out was about $40. 900. GO. The
British tried TO smuggIe cargoes
ashore and var resulted. the outcome
OF rh!ch was that Great Britain com
p1l!cd China, by treaty signed in
is8e. 70 admit the drug to Celestial
ports PROM that timc until to-day,
despite tho protests Of the Chinese
Eoyorunent exports OF opium from
ludia 10 China have steadily increased.
The better sorL which comes In
bN'lL Is prepared by W0rkmcn. each
o! HON sits upon a stool with brass
cup 10 'roaI OF MIN. lie first lines the
cup with poppy petals to the thickness
Of half an Zach, the petals being stuck
together With gluiiaous substance,
composed OF opium refuse and other
things. Then ho puts in the middle
il;tls bsll Of opium Of a certain weight
covering over aiterward with moro
poPpy petals. 20 that round ball is
formed The ball-one mAa can make
about seycaty days dried for three
days ia the sun, and after the opium
l. considered to he entirely cured It is
packed In chests
Tho growing OF the opium poppy in
China also, however. has been deyel-
opeI so extensively that more than
lwicc tho number Of acres are eultt-
waited with it 10 Southwestern China
alone ss are devoted TO the plant iu
lndia- Methods Of collecting the
opium vary somewhat but the usual
plan i TO slice the seed-pods delicately
with knives and scrapo OF the gum
which exudcs This gum Is opium.
The eating OF opium has been prac-
ticed from very ancient times. though
chiefly In Asia Minor. India and Per-
siz. smoking the drug Is peculiarly
n Chinese yIco-so much so, In fact
that 10 1878 1t Was estimated three out
OF every ten OF tho population oil
China had the habit OF ''hitting the
pine" Wherever the Chinese have
goss they have Introduced this inter-
eating amusement
In preparing crude opium FOR smo K
In: II Is fret removed from the petals
uoIstencd and boiled in pans for some
hours until ii has arrived at the condi-
zion OF 4 thin paste. Thea oonsid-
cradle quantity OF water is added and
the rich brown fluid thus obtained Is
drawn OF into another receptacle by
syphon process, with a lamp wick
made Of sort OF plth. Next the
auid Is evaporated by boiling. and
after being removed from the fire is
stirred until cold by coolies who assist
the process with large fans At the
end OF this performance the opium
looks like molas.es and is ready to be 1
sealed up in half-pound cans 1t Is
commonly adulterated with hour'
licorice. clay, pieces OF lead and va
rious gums.