THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 163 



they should take daily the same quantity as they had been 

 accustomed to take of opium. At Bokhara I saw a hakim 

 of Kashgar, who acquired some reputation for his skill 

 in curing opium-eating, which he performed in the course 

 of three days. On the first day, he gave one drachm of a 

 powder, probably smilax china, rnixed with water ; on the 

 second, he ordered four other smaller powders, ( probably 

 cortex radicis daturoe stramonii, with sugar ) to be taken at 

 intervals of three hours, each of them weighing 10 grains, 

 which produced a stupor. On the third day, he gave a 

 drastic purgative, the principal ingredients of which was 

 semen crotonis tiglii, after which he gave them a decoction 

 of liquorice root ad libitum. On this critical day the patient 

 was allowed no food, and during the three days of that 

 •treatment he was carefully watched, lest he should taste 

 brandy or other intoxicating beverages, which would pro- 

 duce injurious consequences to the patient. On the fourth 

 day the patient was set free, and felt no desire to take 

 either spirits or opium, the effect of the cure having been 

 to produce an aversion to them. In Europe also, spirit 

 drinkers are weaned from their bad habits by mixing some 

 spirits with all their provisions, which has the effect of dis- 

 gusting them with the flavour. In a Persian book, the fol- 

 lowing remedy for the above-mentioned abuses is recom- 

 mended, and which professes to have the advantage of 

 effecting the cure in one day ; namely, the before-mentioned 

 bark of the thorn-apple root, mixed with water ; this is 

 administered until it produces intoxication almost to mad- 

 ness ; when the patient is in that state, his body is to be 

 rubbed with v/arm oil, and continued till he falls asleep. 

 In that state he remains generally nine hours. On his 

 awaking he appears like a drunken man, but on continuing 

 to rub the body with oil for about two hours after his 

 awaking, he becomes perfectly cured. His first drink must 

 be milk and water. It is said that the decoction of China- 

 root is efficacious in preventing the pain in the muscles 

 which is experienced after abstaining from opium, and in 

 curing those which owe their origin to the immoderate use 

 2t; 



