189 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
189 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
From: pjordan@cab013.cs.ualberta.ca (Peter Jordan)
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Newsgroups: alt.drugs,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.singapore
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Subject: Opium Chronology in China
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Date: 24 Dec 1994 00:49:09 GMT
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Message-ID: <3dfr65$bi1@scapa.cs.ualberta.ca>
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I divorce myself from all the biases and inacuracies and inflammatory
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comments which may catch the *spark* in your eye. All flames will be
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diverted into /dev/null.
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OPIUM IN CHINA (1700-1860)
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CHRONOLOGY:
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source: (Research Issues 24) Perspectives on the History of Psychoactive
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Substance Use; NIDA,USDHEW 1978. pgs 134-140 (i doubt I'll do that muc
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c. 1700 Introduction Use of tobacco-opium mixtures (madak) begins in the
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East Indies (probably Java) spreads to Formosa, Fukien and the South China
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coast (refs). In 1689, Engelberg Kaempfer inspects primitive dens where the
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mixture is dispensed (Amoenitates Exoticae, 1712:642-5).
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1729 First Edict Reports reach Peking of the evils of opium smoking
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(shrivelling up the features; early deaths) in
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Formosa and Fukien; Emperor Yung Chen prohibits
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the sale of opium and the operation of smoking
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houses. etc. etc. blah blah blah.....
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c. 1750 The British East India Company assumes control of Bengal
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and Bihar, the opium growing districts of eastern India;
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British shipping dominates the Bengal opium trade out of
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Calcutta.
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1757 Early Trade Britain annexes Bengal; the Chinese confine
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foreing trade to Canton where it can be restricted
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and controlled in the interests of revenue for
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the Chinese. Honk Kong merchants serve as
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intermediaries between the foreigners and the
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Chinese authorities.
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1767 Opium Imports Rise Opium from Bengal continues to enter China despite
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the edict of 1729 prohibiting smoking. It
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increases in frequency from 200 chests annually
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in 1729 to 1000 annually by 1967. However, much is
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for medicinal use. Tariffs are collected on the
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opium.
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1772 The East India company establishes a limited monopoly over Bengal
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opium; the company has general control but the operation is
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in the hands of contractors, who advance company funds to the
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farmers, purchase the opium produced, and sell it to the company
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which then auctions it off to merchants in Calcutta.
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British companies are the principal shippers.
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1773-86 Limited Monopoly Warren Hastings, the first governor general of
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India, recognizes that opium is harmful and at
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first opposes increasing production; later
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he encoiurages the the control of opium by the
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company hoping that by monopolizing and
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limiting the supply he will discourage its
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consumption. This limited monopoly lasts
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throughout his administration and beyond,
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but when the Chinese market is discovered,
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the monopoly shifts from controlling to
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expanding cultivation.
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1779 Opium Imported First mention of actual trading in opium at Canton.
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1780 Prohibition Attempted British traders establish an opium depot at
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Macao. ANother imperial edict prohibits
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consumption of opium and reiterates
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prohibition of its sale.
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1787 British Trade in opium is still less important than trade
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debate in commodities; directors of the East India Company,
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over opium. recognizing China's objections to the importation of
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opium, make offers to prohibit the export of Indian
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opium to China. However, company representatives
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in Canton declare that the Chinese are never sincere
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in their declared intentions of suppressing illicit
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traffic, as long as the officials issue prohibitory
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edicts with one hand and extend the other to receive
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bribes from the illegal trade.
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deletia
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1796 Prohibition Alarmed by increasing use, the emperor issues an
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Attempted edict forbiding importation of opium, as well as
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export of Chinese silver that is being used as a
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medium of exchange. Now even legitimate trade is limited to barter.
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Nonetheless, illegal purchase of opium with silver continues.
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1797 Trade Monopoly The company assumes full control of Bengal opium.
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1799 Trade, A strong edict by authorities at Canton,
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cultivation ban. supporting the emperor's decree of 1796,
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forbids opium trade at that port. A
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concurrent drive against native poppy growing is initiated. Opium becomes
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an illicit commodity.
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Trade diverted, The 1799 edict increases traffic through
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smuggling. Macao and other areas beyond government
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control enabling UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH. The British
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declare only their legitimate cargo, leave opium on board to be picked up
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by Chinese mercahnts who smuggle it ashore in small, fast ( :) boats.
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1800 Anti-Opium Opium becomes identified with official
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policy develops. corruption, criminals and antigovernment
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secret societies. An imperial edict
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prohibits domestic cultivation and repeats the prohibition against
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importing opium. China develops an anti-opium policy, at least on paper.
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Edicts continue to be issued reiterating prohibitions against importation,
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sale, and consumption of opium.
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1804 Canton Trade Resumes Opium trading resumes at the port of Canton.
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Though the 1799 edict is still in force,
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it has little effect and no immediate practical change in policy ensues.
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etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
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Maybe I 'll type more later. Depends on the colour of the flames I guess.
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Peter J.
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=============================================================================
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From: pjordan@cab013.cs.ualberta.ca (Peter Jordan)
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Newsgroups: alt.drugs,talk.politics.drugs,soc.culture.netherlands,soc.culture.singapore,soc.culture.china
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Subject: Opiates Britain 1800-1917
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Date: 25 Dec 1994 14:15:39 GMT
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Message-ID: <3djuqc$5pe@scapa.cs.ualberta.ca>
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" Patent medicines and opium preperations such as _Dover's Powder
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were readilly available without restrictions. Indeed,
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Laudanum (opium mixed with alcohol) was cheaper than beer or wine
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and readily within the means of the lowest-paid worker. As a result,
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throughout the first half of the 19th century, the incidence of opium
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dependance appears to have increased steadily in Enland, Europe and the
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United States. Working-class medicinal use of opium-bearing _nostrums_
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as sedatives for children was especially prominent in England.
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However, despite some well known cases among 19th century English
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literary amd creative personalities--Thomas de Quincey, Byron, Shelley,
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Coleridge, and Dickens--recreational use was
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limited, and there is no evidence that use was so excessive as to be a
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medical or social concern."
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SOURCE:
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Perspectives on the History of Psychoactive Substance Use. REsearch Issues 24;
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NIDA, USDHEW; pg. 155 [Opiates Britain 1800-1917]
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Chronology:
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1800-20s Domestic opium cultivation is encouraged by increased
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Increased use; opium use, along with rising prices and problems with
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Cultivation. adulteration. It declines after the 1820s, but there
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does not appear to have been any call for controls.
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skip
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1834-50 An awareness grows of endemic opium use among Fenish
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Fenland use. peoples, who both tolerate and successfully control
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their use by informal social mechanisms. Use is
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particularly widespread among poorer classes, agricultural populations, the
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inhabitants of small hamlets and isolated farms, and women and babies.
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Contemporary observers attribute initiation of use for the rheumatic pains
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which plague almost everyone in this low-lying marshy area.
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1839 Opium and its preparations are responsible for more
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Concern Grows premature deaths than any other chemical agent.
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Opiates account for 186 of 543 poisonings, including
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no fewer than 72 among children.
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* * * * * * *
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Chotto yasumimashoo .
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* * * * * * *
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Peter J.
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(totemo omoshiroi desu)
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