THE OPIUM POPPY 



injection of morphia, or by eating or smoking laudanum or 

 morphia. De Quinoey's Confessions of cm Opium-eater 

 and Kipling''s Gate of the Hundred Sorrows give a lurid 

 picture of the ruin of body and soul brought about by 

 opium. I 



It is produced from the heads of the Opium Poppy 

 {Papaver somniferum). Any poppy (or indeed any plant of 

 the Poppy order) when scratched or wounded exudes a thick 

 white or orange milky fluid. This is called "latex"*' (or 

 milk) ; it is always more or less poisonous, and generally con- 

 tains some sort of resinous matter. ITius when the plant is 

 scratched or pierced, a drop of this milky latex comes out 

 and at once hardens over the wound. Of course the plant is 

 much benefited by this, for any destructive insect, unless it 

 is a confirmed opium-eater, will be poisoned or killed ; then 

 also, if wounds are caused by wind, heavy rain, or animals 

 passing, the scar is at once healed over and covered by the 

 hardened opium, so that no dangerous fungus spores can get 

 in to attack the plant. There is a mildew fungus and also 

 a smut fungus {Entyhma) which attack the poppy, but both 

 these enter by the stomata and live between the cells of the 

 plant. 



The general appearance of the Opium Poppy is quite 

 familiar; its upright stems, large, clasping, bluish-green 

 leaves and conspicuous flowers may be seen in many gardens. 

 It is rather interesting, and in many ways ; when young, the 

 buds droop or hang down, and are entirely enclosed in two 

 large green, hairy sepals. These last are soon thrown off, 

 and then the flowers open out and display the petals with 

 their rich black spots, and the crowded mass of stamens 

 which surround the central greenish head. In bud these 

 petals are " cramb'd up within the empalement by hundreds 



302 



