The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-01-06
S 3 EEgyiasRElaaSsa
49,
TEA TO CURE OPIUM HABIT
Steps Craving for Drug-DlseoV-
cry an Accident.

The missionaries In China and India
and the governments of Australia and
other countries which have prohibit
ed the importation of opium in their
efforts TO check the consumption of
the drug will be relieved to hear Of
the discovery of tea plant which
Is reputed to be effective in destroy
ing the desire for opium.
In the Agricultural Bulletin of the
Malay States 1t is announced that this
plant has been discovered in MALAYSIA,
and is said to grow in the Malayan
Peninsula and archipelago 1t has been
identified by botanists in England as
"Combretum Sundaicum," and now is
known in the Straits Settlement as
the anti-opium plant
Il was first discovered by a party OF
wood cutters who ran out of tea, and,
to supply its place, took the leaves of
a jungle climber, dried them, and
made an infusion in the ordinary way.
This made the men i'll, so the leaves
we're subsequently roasted. when a
fair substitute for tea was obtained
which had no Ill effects. Then. for
some obscure reason, "tengo," opium
dross, or the refuse of opium after be-
ing smoked, was mixed with It, and
the men continued drinking the mix
ture for a week or more.
After this time It was found that all
desire for opium had been lost
Friends of the men we're told OF the
discovery, and so the news was
spread and others were induced to try
the remedy. The Y. NJ. C. A. has
taken up the discovery in the far east,
and is devoting its attention to the
distribution of the medicine.
The opium curse is recognized as
the greatest enemy of all missionary
influences among the yellow races in
the far east, and the discovery Of an
anti-opium remedy of this kind has
been hailed with delight The Anti
Opium society Of Selangor is paying
all expenses of securing the medicine
on condition that 1t be distributed
without charge. In many places the
distributors nave handed the med
icine out TO 500 applicants daily. the
mixture being given out thus: An APP
plicant brings with him two bottles,
old brandy or whisky bottles, filled
with the decoction, and into one of
the two bottles is placed the usual
quantity of opium dross. This is not
repeated, the bottle containing it be-
ing filled up from the other bottle
which contains none, so that grad
ually the proportion Of opium is re-
duced to nothing. If the applicant
comes a second time no opium is
used.
With regard to its chemical nature,
nothing has yet been discovered, eth
or in the leaves or stems of the plant
or in the decoction of the roasted
drug, which would account for its
physiological value. Some medical
men have averred that they can find
no real value in the plant, and that
the effect is simply due TO faith in
the mind of the consumer. But in
spite of this the missionary societies
contend that hundreds of men and
women have taken the cure and have
held their ground for more than 4
years. although some have relapsed
into the habit. And they hold that
there must be virtue in the plaut.
since the craving for opium is not =
mental, but almost entirely a physical
one. And it is that physical craving
| which disapDears