OPIUM. 



719 



fascination, which needs almost superhuman powers 

 of self-denial and also capacity for the endurance 

 of pain, to overcome. The operation of opium is, 

 on this account, more deadly by many degrees than 

 its less tyrannous rival. In other respects ahove- 

 mentioned there is generally a more rapid and more 

 permanent influence exerted by opium than by ar- 

 dent spirits : an influence so directly inimical to all 

 human happiness whatever, that if the facts were 

 not before our eyes, we might well doubt the cun- 

 ning of the arch fiend himself to recommend to one 

 son of Adam the use of such an instrument of self- 

 destruction." 



In March, 1839, the Chinese government appear 

 to have taken more decided steps than any which 

 had yet been adopted to prevent the introduction 

 of opium, and under the direction of the imperial 

 commissioner from Pekin, the British residents 

 were shut up in their factory, and only obtained 

 their release on condition of giving up the stock 

 of opium on board the ships, amounting to 20,283 

 chests, worth nearly 3,000,000 sterling, the su- 

 perintendent of British trade giving the owners 

 indemnity scrips. The contents of every chest 

 were subsequently emptied into sluices communi- 

 cating with the river, in the presence of the Chin- 

 ese authorities, and many of the residents of the 

 British and other factories who were invited to 

 attend. Men were employed from day to day in 

 hastening the process of maceration until the 

 opium had become muddy and fetid, when the 

 whole of it was washed into the river. After 

 this the merchants withdrew to Macao, whence 

 they were expelled by the Chinese on the 27th of 

 August, in consequence of refusing to give up a 

 seaman who had killed a Chinese in a brawl. 

 They then retired to their ships at Hong-Kong; 

 but the fleet being in want of provisions, the su- 

 perintendent of British trade, on the 4th of Sep- 

 tember, endeavoured to obtain a supply from the 

 natives, but was opposed by the Chinese war- 

 j links; and in the conflict which ensued, several 

 Chinese were killed, and some Europeans wounded. 

 A fresh attack upon the Chinese, which was to 

 have been made the following day, was counter- 

 manded. On the llth of September the superin- 

 tendent notified a blockade of Canton river and 

 port ; but on the 16th the blockade was abandoned, 

 in consequence, it is said, of negociations having 

 been commenced with the Chinese. Proceedings 

 of a still more serious nature have taken place 

 subsequently ; and these events have greatly com- 

 plicated the state of our relations with China. In 

 the speech from the throne, on the opening of 

 parliament, on the 16tb of January, 1840, the 

 interruption of our commercial intercourse with 

 that country was formally announced; and a naval 

 force has been despatched for the purpose of aid- 

 ing, by a warlike demonstration, the negotiations 

 which may be required to settle these serious diffi- 

 culties. In the meantime the sales of opium are 

 advertised at Calcutta as usual; and the general 

 opinion is that it will be found impossible to pre- 

 vent the introduction of the article into China by 

 any plan however rigorous; for the individuals, 

 who should put the prohibitory law in executions 

 conspire to evade it ; and generally speaking, are 

 so low in moral character, as to prefer their inter- 

 est to their duty. 



The people of Java are addicted in a very re- 

 markable degree to excess in the use of opium. 

 Such of the natives or slaves as have been rendered 



desperate by the pressure of disappointment or 

 misfortune, give themselves up entirely to tha 

 baneful indulgence, until their minds are raised to 

 a state of frightful excitement, or rather frenzy. 

 In this state they rush forth with dreadful pur- 

 poses against all by whom they think they have 

 been wronged or offended. They run along 

 shouting " Amok ! amok!" or "Kill! kill!" and 

 in their blind fury stab at every person they meet, 

 until self-preservation obliges the people to kill 

 them as we kill a mad dog. This is what is 

 termed "running amuck." This is most com- 

 monly the result of the strong propensity of the 

 people to gambling, by which they are often de- 

 prived of all they possess in the world, and, 

 "worst loss of all! ' even lose their own self- 

 respect. The immediate destruction of the muck- 

 runners is authorised by the law in Java. 



In some parts of India, opium is presented at 

 visits and entertainments in the same familiar 

 manner as the snuffbox in Europe. There is in 

 that country a class of persons who carry letters 

 and run with messages through the provinces. 

 With no other provision than a piece of opium, a 

 bag of rice, and a pot to draw water from the 

 wells, these men perform journeys that would 

 scarcely be credited in this country. In the same 

 manner the trackless deserts of the different coun- 

 tries between the Indus and the Mediterranean are 

 traversed by foot messengers by the aid of this 

 drug, with a few dates perhaps, and a piece of 

 coarse bread. The old traveller, Sir Thomas Her- 

 bert, very well describes this use of opium. 

 " Opium (the juice of poppie) is of great use there 

 also (in Persia :) good, if taken moderately ; bad, 

 nay mortal, if beyond measure : but by practice 

 they make that familiar which would kill us ; so 

 that their medicine is our poison. They chaw it 

 much, for it helps catarrhs, cowardize, and the 

 epilepsie ; and, which is admirable, some extraor- 

 dinary foot -posts they have who, by continual 

 chawing this, with some other confection, are ena- 

 bled to run day and night without intermission, 

 seeming to be in a constant dream or giddiness, 

 seeing but not knowing whom they meet, though 

 well acquainted, and miss not their intended 

 places, by a strange efficacy expulsing the tedious 

 thoughts of travel, and rarely (wonderfully) for 

 some days deceiving the body of its reasonable 

 rest and lodging." 



The very extensive use of this drug in Turkey 

 and Persia is no doubt in a great degree owing to 

 the prohibition of intoxicating liquors by the Mo- 

 hammedan law. It was a substitute for them. 

 Accordingly the use of the drug has much declined 

 in Turkey of late years, since those who would 

 otherwise have been opium-eaters have learned to 

 indulge in wine and arrack. Nevertheless, the 

 occasional use of opium is far from having ceased, 

 nor has the race of Theriakis, or habitual opium- 

 eaters, become extinct. 



In England opium is almost entirely employed 

 as a medicine. In Lincolnshire, it is said to be 

 taken for its intoxicating properties, the practice 

 having originated in its use as a remedy for the 

 ague. The assertion that opium is taken with 

 the same object in the manufacturing districts of 

 Lancashire cannot be traced to any authentic 

 source, and we do not believe that the abuse of 

 the drug is prevalent in those parts. Neither 

 opium nor any of the preparations in which it is a 

 chief ingredient ought to be used except under the 



