310 POISONS : THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§ 368 . 
is taken habitually by a very large number of the population through¬ 
out India, those who are accustomed to the drug taking it in quantities of 
from 10 to 20 grains in the twenty-four hours ; so long as this amount 
is not exceeded they do not appear to suffer ill-health or any injurious 
effect. The native wrestlers even use it whilst training. The habitual 
consumption of opium by individuals has a direct medico-legal bearing. 
Thus in India, among the Rajpoots, from time immemorial, infused 
opium has been the drink both of reconciliation and of ordinary greeting, 
and it is no evidence of death by poison if even a considerable quantity 
of opium be found in the stomach after death, for this circumstance 
taken alone would, unless the history of the case was further known, be 
considered insufficient proof. So, again, in all climates, and among all 
races, it is entirely unknown what quantity of an opiate should be con¬ 
sidered a poisonous dose for an opium-eater. Almost incredible quantities 
have, indeed, been consumed by such persons ; and the commonly 
received explanation, that the drug, in these cases, passes out unab¬ 
sorbed, can scarcely be correct,for Hermann mentions the caseof a lady of 
Zurich who daily injected subcutaneously 1 to 2 grms. (15-31 grains) of a 
morphine salt. In a case of uterine cancer, recorded by Dr W. C. Cass, 1 
20 grains of morphine in the twelve hours were frequently used sub¬ 
cutaneously ; during thirteen months the hypodermic syringe was used 
1350 times, the dose each time being 5 grains. It is not credible that 
an alkaloid introduced into the body hypodermically should not be 
absorbed. 
Opium-smoking is another form in which the drug is used, but it is 
an open question as to what poisonous alkaloids are in opium smoke. It 
is scarcely probable that morphine should be a constituent, for its sub¬ 
liming point is high, and it will rather be deposited in the cooler portion 
of the pipe. Opium, specially prepared for smoking, is called “ Chandoo”; 
it is dried at a temperature not exceeding 240°. H. Moissan 2 has 
investigated the products of smoking chandoo, but only found a small 
quantity of morphine. N. Grehant and E. Martin 3 have also experi¬ 
mented with opium smoke ; they found it to have no appreciable effect 
on a dog ; one of the writers smoked twenty pipes in succession, contain¬ 
ing altogether 4 grms. of chandoo. After the fourth pipe there was some 
headache, at the tenth pipe and onwards giddiness. Half an hour 
after the last pipe the giddiness and headache rapidly went off. In any 
case, opium-smoking seems to injure the health of Asiatics but little. 
Mr Vice-Consul King, of Kew-Kiang, in a tour through Upper Yangtse 
and Szechuan, was thrown much into the company of junk sailors and 
others, “ almost every adult of whom smoked more or less.” He says : 
“ Their work was of the hardest and rudest, rising at 4 and working 
1 Lancet, March 25, 1882. Seo also Dr Boulton’s case, Lancet, March 18, 1882. 
2 Compt. Rend., cxv. 988-992. 3 Ibid ... cxv. 1012-1014. 
