NARCOTICS. 



N. O. 13. PAPAVERACE^:. POPPYWORTS. 

 Papaver somniferum. Linn. Garden Poppy. 



Linn. Syst. Polyandria Polygynfa. 



The concrete juice of the immature, capsule, Opium, Manus Dei ; 

 and the mature capsule, Papaver, Poppy heads. 



Vernacular. The plant, Chosa, Sans. Post, Hind. Pasto, Beng. 

 Casa-casa, Tarn. Cassa-cassa, Tel. Aboonom (father of sleep), 

 Arab. The capsules, Post, Vulg. Opium, Afeem, Hind. Dec. 

 Afiun> Hind. Pers. Abinie, Tarn. Afeeoon, Arab. Malaya. 



Habitat. Asia and Egypt. Cultivated in Egypt, Asia Minor, British 

 India, and China. & " 



Remarks. The cf black poppy,' 1 and opium were known to the ancients, 

 and the celebrated <ap/za*oi/ vrinevQes of Homer was probably some pre- 

 paration of opium. The Museum is unusually fortunate in its 

 representation of opium. Every instrument used in the cultivation of 

 the poppy and the manufacture of the extract in Central India and Hin- 

 doostan ; all the applications of the plant, and each stage of the drug, and 

 every commercial variety, has been supplied by Government. In addition 

 I have received an undescribed variety from Colonel Taylor, the Resident at 

 Zanzibar, who obtained it while travelling through Persia at Yezd. It is 

 in a stick like sealing-wax, liver coloured, and very hard. Samples of 

 China and Punjab opium were also supplied, but the former turned 

 bad, whilst the latter has been expended in analysis. One of the most 

 interesting objects in the collection is the ornamented apparatus used 

 by the Rajpoots in preparing and drinking Kussumba, a watery solution 

 of opium. There is also a complete opium smoking service from China, 

 with Chinese pictures illustrating the practice. In Bombay opium is 

 generally taken in the form of small pills, but in Hindoostan it is 

 employed in a number of forms, as sweetmeats, conserves, drinks, but 

 never smoked as in China, unless the practice has been communicated to 

 the people by Chinese immigrants as in Bombay, where chandoo or the 

 " emokeable extract " is quite familiar. Manilla Cheeroots contain 

 opium. Kokemar is a decoction of poppy -heads used in Persia. Poppy 

 and Papaver, are said to be from " pap," because given with their food 

 to quiet children ! 



Peganum Harmala, W., Syrian Rue, N. 0, 63 (See " Drugs"); Mu- 

 rucuia ocellata, Bull-hoof or Dutchman's Laudanum of Jamaica, 

 Passifloracese ; and Lactucarium, the extract of Lactuca sativa, Garden 

 Lettuce, and L. virosa, Strong-scented Lettuce, N'. O. 120 (See 

 *' Drugs"), have been recommended as substitutes for opium. The 

 following plants also are used similarly to opium in different countries : 



N. O. 46. ERYTHROXYLACE.E. Erythrozylon Coca, the leaf of which, 

 is the Coca of the Bolivia and Peru. 



N. O. 68. CELASTRACE^E. Catha edulis, the leaf of which is the 

 Khat of the Arabs and Ethiopians (v. infra). 

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