Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-29

and lumber, but in rubber, camphor and
gums of all forms. Camphor is made very
much like turpentine down in the forests of
Georgia and Alabama. The trees are
tapped, the juice is caught in crooks and
reduced to solid. In some places, among
the less civilized peoples, ruder methoCs
are employed. The trunks of camphor trees
are cut into chips, which are boiled in stills,
and the steam drips into jars as it cools.
Very little camphor has ever been taken
from the Philippines, but plenty can be
found there.
We import $500, 900 worth of gum arabic
every year from Asia Minor, Arabia. Mo-
rocco and other Mediterranean countries 1t
is made from the juice of the acacia tree,
a species of locust which is found in Ameri-
can conservatories and grows outdoors in
the southern states. When the bark is cut
gum exudes like that from the balsam
pine and is boiled until 1t is completely dis
solved. Then the solution is turned off into
pans to cool, when the gum-arabic crystal
Lies at the bottom of the pan
We buy 100000 worth of gum-tragacanth
from the same countries. 1t comes from
low, spiney shrub which grows wild on the
hills of Asia Minor, and is much improved
by cultivation. Its gum, when reduced to
the form In which it is Sold Is used to give
bulk and substance to pills and lozenges and
other dry, medicinal preparations. 1t is
perfect absorbent and dissolves easily. 1t
is also used for mucilage and pastes.
Opium and Morphine.
Our importations of opium amount to
nearly $2,5O0o00 every year, about one-half
of it being for smoking and the remainder
for medicinal use. The following are the
inportations for the past four years:
Medicinal Smokin g
1902. ..................$1.1 1893 sl,42o091
1904. ................... 1.15s.Ss7 1,i35,53s
1905 % months). ........ 1898 !, POI, Goa
The medicinal opium comes from India
and Oceania. The smoking opium comes
almost entirely from China
Repeated experiments have demonstrated
that the opium poppy can be grown with
profit In several parts of this country.
Small attempts have yielded morphine of
a high commercial grade in Vermont, the
District of Columbia, Texas southern Cali
fornia and other points. 1t has not been es-
tablished, however, developed into
industry. The Agricultural Department is
working in connection with Mr.. c. z: Bras
Ian of Santa Clara, CAL who had twenty
acres in peoples this year and they pro-
duced large crop. AS Mr.. Brasian runs
a seed farm, he keeps and sells the seeds
of the poppes, while the government takes
the pods. From them the juice is extracted
by newly discovered chemical process and
reduced to morphine crystals without pass
ing through the opium-gum stage of manu-
facture The department has no intention
or desire to produce opium but Secretary
wilson believes we can easily provide our
own morphine which is one of the most
important and necessary drugs In the phar-
macopoeia. The process of making opium
is very different. The milky juice is taken
from the plant as it oozes out and the
moisture is pressed out of it. Experiments
are now being conducted in Vermont as
well as California
In India opium-making is government
monopoly and one of the largest sources
of revenue. Comparatively little is con-
sumed in that empire. Its sale is restricted
by the most stringent regulations Its ex-
port. however, Is encouraged and the prod
uct Is sold at auction by government Off
Gals as fast as it comes in from the coun-
try. China takes nearly all of the opium
of India. Small amounts go to the Malay
Federation, Singapore and other British
colonies where there is a large Chinese
population. There have been many at
tempts to suppress opium culture In India
Every few years there is a parliamentary
inquiry. but no influence has been strong
enough to secure the sacrifice of a large
revenue for purely moral principles