OPIUM.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 670, 20 May 1914, Page 7

OPIUM.

THE SOMNIFEROUS POPPY. Opium is the milky juice which exudes from the seed-pods of the "pa paver somniferum," the ;;orEniferous, or white, poppy.

In Pareira's monumental work on medicines the virtues of the drug ore thus described—' Opium is undoubtedly the most important and valuable remedy of the whole Materia Medica. For other medicines we have one or more substitutes, but for opium, none. Its good effects are not, as is the case v.'ith some valuable medicines, remote and contingent ;■ but they are immediate, direct, and obvious ; and its operation is not attended with _ pain or discomfort. Furthermore, it is applied, and with threat success, to the relief of maladies of every day's occurrence, some of which are attended with acute human suffering." The somniferous poppy is indigenous in Asia, long' cultivated in Egypt, Turkey, Persia, and India, and, more recently, in China aijid Manchuria, while the red poppy, which grows wild in certain parts of England, 'is familiar to all. But the greatest curses of man are closely akin to his greatest blessings; good and evil hang upon the same branch. Opium, whose panegyric lias been spoken by Pareira. is better Known to the many in its perverted uses, and as a means of vicious and highly injurious sensual pleasure. When and where this perversion first took place' it is not known, but certainly not until comparatively recent times has the drug won worldwide notoriety.

In Turkey and Persia there are many customers ; in India, the chief source of supply, but comparatively few ; whilst in . China more is consumed than in all the rest of the world. No vice of importance —it' that term be permissible —has suffered cnore vigorous denuAciation than this.. Opium has been called "'avile poison." "an infernal drug," which has "'annually slain its h'.:nlrcd thousand victims;" the seller of wh'ich is "a murderer," and the consumer "a suicide." *

By some 'it has been argued that we all use stimulants, whether ten., coffee, chicory, . cocoa, chocolate, betel nut, wine, beer, spirits, hasehich, or opium ; that in moderation, one indulgence is no worst' than another; whilst in excess, all are injurious. The use of coffee, upon its introduction, was much opposed. Wesley denounced tea.; while King Jarrtes's vehement attack upon tobacco 'ls historical. • Thus, all stimulants have their enemies, but none,, with the possible exception of alcohol, so many as opium.

When opium-eating is first begun, we arc told that it acts as a pleasant and refreshing stimulant ; an artificial vigour and tone are lent to the system, followed by a corresponding relaxation, and listlsssness. The habit grows, but th 3 strength is not impaired, and attention can be paid to business as usual ; in fact, at this stage, the opium-eater enjoys great vivacity. Later, he cannot do without ill? drug, and by pain of body and dissipation of mind —which he suffers in its absence—he knows himself a slave to opium.

Whereas, with the first pipe, a few grains sufßce to produce the full effect. the smoker of opium soon is compelled to use one draibm, or •s'ixty grains, in twenty-four hours. 'Later, two, three, four, and even live drachms per day are consumed; and some are said to use ten.— '■' Globe."