DRUGS 217 



from wild plants. The cocaine shrub is propagated from 

 seeds. The young seedling trees, taken directly from the nurs- 

 ery, are planted about 4 by 4 feet. The first picking of leaves 

 is obtained at the age of 2^ years. Thereafter the leaves may 

 be picked several times annually. Only mature leaves are used 

 as a source of cocaine. After picking, the leaves are quickly 

 dried and packed in moisture and air-proof containers for 

 shipment. On an average, 100 pounds of leaves will yield i 

 pound of cocaine. The Bolivian cocaine leaves appear to yield 

 the highest percentage of the drug cocaine. The leaves of this 

 shrub also contain a number of other alkaloids beside cocaine. 

 In the countries where this plant grows the natives frequently 

 acquire the habit of chewing the leaves either alone or mixed 

 with lime and tobacco. It is commonly believed that this habit 

 has the effect of increasing the resistance of the laborer to 

 fatigue, to the loss of sleep, and to the lack of food. The co- 

 caine bush grows vigorously in Hawaii and in the Philippines, 

 but no effort has been made to develop an industry in the 

 growth of cocaine, largely for the reason that much hesitation 

 has been felt toward exposing American laborers more widely 

 than necessary to the cocaine habit. 



OPIUM 



The opium poppy (Papaper somniferum) is a native of 

 India and Asia Minor, but has also been cultivated extensively 

 in China, Queensland, Persia, Turkey, and various other coun- 

 tries. It is an annual poppy and occurs under 2 or 3 varietal 

 forms. The best variety for medicinal use is cultivated in 

 Asia Minor. The seed is sown in drills 2 feet apart and about 

 10 inches in the drill. The plant blossoms 3 months after 

 seeding and within 10 days thereafter the seed capsules are 

 ready to be tapped. In obtaining crude opium the green cap- 

 sule is lanced at intervals of about 1-30 inch by a set of parallel 

 blades. The lancing is commonly done during dry weather in 



