The value of opium in medicine is unquestioned. With regard to its use as a narcotic, great efforts have been made by a few well-intentioned but ignorant people to procure its annihilation. But though the abuse of the drug leads to evil consequences-by no means equalling, however, those of the abuse of alcohol in this country-its moderate use is extremely beneficial, if not absolutely necessary, in the malarial climate of China, where almost the whole is consumed, and the immunity of opium-smokers from diseases of the bronchial tubes and lungs, so common among non-smokers, is remarkable. The real remedy for excessive opium-smoking in China lies in the development of the resources of the country, enabling the inhabitants to occupy healthy houses and consume whole some food ; the abuse of opium would then die out of China, as the abuse of laudanum died out of Lincolnshire after the fens were drained. An antidote for opium-smoking is the use of coca (see p. 1307).
Imports and Values.—The importations of opium into the United Kingdom were 41,000 lb. in 1839, 114,000 lb. in 1852, and 400,303 lb. in 1876. The supplies of 1876 were contributed as follows :-315.624 lb. from Turkey, 51,165 lb. from Persia, 13,390 lb. from British India, 5660 lb. from China, and 14,464 lb. from other countries. The imports in 1879 were :-499,351 lb., 396,1231., from Turkey ; 47,240 lb., 19,9771., from Persia ; and 25,820 lb., 16,6101. from other countries ; total, 572,411 lb., 432,710/. Of our colonies, it may be mentioned that Victoria imported prepared opium to the value of 104,557/. in 1876, doubtless for the use of the Chinese labourers engaged on the gold-fields.
The approximate value of " fine" Turkey opium in the London market is 15-25s. a lb. ; " other qualities," 12-21s. a lb.
Pituri.—The substance known as pituri among the Australian aboriginals, and popularly spelt pitcheri, pitchoury, bedgery, &c., by Europeans, has recently attracted considerable attention. The results of investigations indicate the source of the narcotic to be the leaves of Duboisia Hopwoodii. This shrub extends from the Darling River and Barcoo, throughout Queensland, S. Australia, and the desert scrubs of Central Australia to W. Australia, and seems to be more plentiful than was at first supposed. The shrub is of bushy growth, with dark, thick, glossy foliage, and reaches a height of 8-9 ft. It is most commonly found on sandy spinifex fiats, in well-watered country. Sylvester Brown indicates a locality of some 400 sq. miles, just on the S. Australian border, about 23° S. lat., as an admirable spot for a reserve of the plant, which grows there abundantly. The native blacks gather the leaves annually during the mouth of August, when the plant is in blossom, and hang them up to dry. They are sometimes sweated beneath a layer of fine sand, dried, roughly powdered up, and then packed in netted bags, skins, &c., for purposes of transport. To prepare them for use, they are damped, mixed with potash obtained from suitable plants, and rolled up into the shape of a cigar. This is chewed, and the saliva is swallowed. In small quantities, it has a powerful
stimulating effect, assuaging hunger, and enabling long journeys to be made without fatigue, and with little food. In large doses, it is maddening. The narcotic principle has been separated in the form of an alkaloid, termed " piturine," prepared iu the same manner as nicotine, which it closely resembles, if it be not actually identical. The leaves are an important article of inter-tribal com merce. In native use, it takes the place of the coca (p. 1307) of S. America, the ava (p. 1305) of Fiji, and the tea of China. It is suspected that D. myoporoides, extending on forest land from near Sydney to near Cape York, and traced also in New Guinea, shares the properties of the first species, as an alkaloid termed " duboisine " prepared from it seems to be identical with piturine. Several species of the allied genus Anthocercis, found throughout the greater part of the Australian continent and in Tasmania, also deserve investigation, as A. viscoso is known to possess the property of contracting the pupil of the eye. (See Drugs—Duboisia, p. 810).
Rhododendron.—The rhododendrons possess considerable narcotic virtues. The flowers of Rhododendron arboreum are eaten as a narcotic by the hill-people of India, and a snuff is made from the bark. The leaves of R. campanulaturn are used as snuff by the natives of India, and the brown dust which adheres to the petioles is used for a similar purpose in N. America. R. chrysanthemum in Siberia is one of the most active of narcotics.
Siberian or Intoxicating Fungus.—The poisonous toad-stool, Amanita muscaria [Agaricus muscarius], is the narcotic of Siberia. It closely resembles some of the edible mushrooms, and is common in fir-, beech-, and birch-woods in N. England. It grows very abundantly in parts of Kamtschatka, where it is either collected during the hot months, and hung up to dry in the air, or is left in the ground to ripen and dry, and is afterwards gathered. It is more narcotic in the latter case. The most common way of using it is to roll it up like a pill, and swallow it without chewing. If steeped in whortleberry-juice, and other vegetable juices, it imparts strong intoxicating qualities. Eaten fresh in soups, &c., it is less powerful. One or two suffice to produce pleasant intoxication for a whole day. It provokes remarkable activity, stimulates bodily exertion, and induces violent exhibitions of passion. A singular feature of it is that the active principle passes unimpaired into the urine, and remains for a long time ; this fact is well known to the Siberians, and is availed of by them in a most abominable manner. It is a significant fact that the exports of this fungus from Archangel in 1878 were :-230 poods, value 4200 roubles, to Great Britain ; 25 poods, 375 roubles, to Holland ; and 115 poods, 1725 roubles to France ; the total amounting to 7 tons, value 630/.