Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-09-03


Hongkong paper sent to the Fond du
Lac reporter by General E. S. Bragg:
In Hongkong, it seems, there are
some 220 public opium divans, 80 OF
the first class and 100 of the second,
where at all times the opium smoker
can be seen sucking solace through
the stem OF hrs long pipe charged with
poppy juice II must not be supposed,
however, that the smoking of opium is
confined to these places, for there Is
hardly hong in the city but has its
opium-smoking couch upon which
callers and customers are invited 10
recline and enjoy a pipe; while in
private life also the opium habit is
indulged in. But 1t is in the divans
that one gets to close touch with the
thing In No. l divans one finds
Chinese OF the better class. They
may buy their opium there and smoke
it; or they may take with them their
own drug, in which case the dross
left In the pipe after smoking becomes
the property of the divan-keeper and
the smoker gets the use Of the pipe in
be from the lower strata of the Chinese
community; here prepared opium is
little used, the smokers using instead
the cheap dross which is left after the
first smoking Of the drug by their
Weather countrymen.
Most of the crude OPIUM brought
into the colony comes from India, and
the monopoly is vested in the opium
farm, to which IL Is periodically farm
ed out by the government. Most of the
people who know the east are aware
OF the method by which the Juice is
gathered from the poppy; how the
seed bulb of the flower is incised and
the juice flows out as a. milky liquid,
concretes in a brownish mass, and is
scraped off the bulb and collected into
Jumps such as are found in the market.
But comparatively little is known OF
the process through which the opium
afterwards goes before it is ready for
smoking. Yet in Macao and in Wan
chat are large opium preparing estab-
lishments where work goes on unceas-
fngly from years end to years end. A
return for the dross. In the second
class dvans one finds the habitues to
opium farm is full of interest to the
uninitiated.
In the first place the inspissated
Juice obtained from the bulb OF the
poppy flower is enclosed in shell
consisting of the leaves of the flower
and plant and rolled In the shape of a
ball weighing about 40 pounds. This
is the shape in which the crude opium
reaches the factory for preparation in
TO the article beloved by the smoker.
The shell in which the opium is wrap
ped Is divided into three layers; the
first or outside layer being dry and Of
no use is thrown away, though some of
the poorer classes chew 1t with their
betel. The second layer, which is
impregnated to certain extent with
most layer, from which is first scraped
carefully all the pulp attached to It.
The water resulting from this stewing
process is OF brown color, contains
a small percentage of the drug and Is
used for boiling the pulp in.
AS regards the boiling of the pulp,
this Is done in brass pan over 4
charcoal fire, all pans used in the
preparation of opium must BIO Of
brass and all fires of charcoal. The
opium water having been first thick
ened a little, the boiling goes on for
about two hours. and. as 1t pro IDS
the scum of the boiling liquid, con-
tanning all the impurities, is SKINNED
of with wooden spoons or pieces OF
wood made in the shape of a long
handled bat and thrown away. After
being boiled the opium thickens &c
about he consistency OF putty. ant
Il Is then removed in smaller pans and
kneadel with wooden scrapers fol
about an hour and half. Wher
the kneading Is completed the opium
is spread out IN pans by means o.
ladies, being sprinkled at the same
time with water blown in spra,
from the mouth of the worker. in the
same maner as is employed by tn,
Chinese laundryman when engaged
In ironing clothes for the fan-kwei
AS a result of being subjected 20 this
treatment tho opium forms thicl
layer On the inner side of the nan
This layer is then dried or fried b!
placing the pan upside down over I
small fire or the ashes of the fire, tn,
drying lasting about an hour, afte
which the opium can he easily sep
arated by the fingers into leaves, gen
orally TO the number Of about twenty
These leaves are broken up and place.
in brass pan together with fresl
water and allowed to stand over nigh
in another room. Next morning thi
solution of opium is filtered through {
basket lined with hrwn ioss-paper int
an ca, thernware pot below, bundl
of Chinese lampwiok being first place,
on the edge of the basin containing tn
opium solution so that as the opium
water runs out into the strainer tn
wick absorbs the hulk of the impur'
ties, This solution of opium thu
SltprAs &c fhpp raadx for fhiNkAninl