Posted on 02/19/2012 12:32:31 PM PST by DogByte6RER
Opium bottles, circa late 1800's
The rainbow patina on these opium bottles belies the deadly reality behin the delicate hues. The bottles were recovered from the remains of a Chinese hotel operated in the late 1800's in a tiny mining town hundreds of miles north of Vancouver, B.C.
These opium bottles from the 1800s remind me of the 1977 film "The Deep" where Jaqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte stumble upon thousands of morphine ampules while diving in the Caribbean.
(Note: here is a photo link of that famous Jaqueline Bisset dive scene of her in The Deep ... I just know somebody is gonna ask.)
http://www.supertopo.com/photos/3/76/159088_12087_L.jpg
It also lead to massive famines due to forced cultivation of opium in lieu of food crops in India by Britain.
"The bottles once held opium based 'elixirs,' such as Dr. McMunn's Elixir of Opium ..."
"The bottles once held opium based 'elixirs,' such as Dr. McMunn's Elixir of Opium ..."
The funds raised in these FReepathons go to pay our current quarter expenses. But we're also going to try to replace some of our older servers and failing equipment this year so we're going to add a little extra to our FReepathon goals. John is estimating ten to fifteen thousand to do this and I'd like to get it all in place and working before the election cycle is fully heated up, so we'll try to bring in a little extra now, if we can, and the rest next quarter.
Jim Robinson
Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium was listed in the American Journal of Pharmacy in 1846 as a cold infusion of opium and wine. Until it was banned in 1905, opium was cheaper than beer or gin (in 1868, the price per pound of Turkish opium was $11, or about $171 in today’s value), and just as easy to obtain. You could buy opium in grocery stores, by mail order, and over the counter at pharmacies. An 1883-to-1885 survey of Iowa showed its two million residents had access to 3,000 stores that sold opium. Women used opiates more than men. Of 1,313 opiate users surveyed in Michigan in 1878, 61.2% were women. Another survey in 1880 in Chicago found that 169 of 235 users were women (71%); one-third of this group were prostitutes.
ping
Laudanum was used here untill after the turn of the century....wasn’t it Opium based?
Interesting read!
I always thought this whole opium thing started because of the British thirst for Chinese tea.
“25 cents for the morphine
15 cents for the beer
25 cents for the morphine
Gonna take me away from here”
Lyrics from Soldiers Joy from 1929 by the Georgia Fiddle Band, “Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p952jSLddg
(Lyrics shown in the music video)
Yeah ... laudanum was derived from opium. I think it was taken in liquid form like mixed in with a tea or with water and other herbs.
Laudanum is tincture of opium.
I had forgotten about that part of the movie. The only thing I remember was how well Jaqueline Bisset filled out a T-shirt in cold water.
I'm sure the Paulites would love to see them back in action again.
In the movie BITE THE BULLET (I saw it at the movie in 1975, wide screen) there is a scene in which a Vaquero has a toothache and asks the girl at the sales counter for something for it.
She says “Ive got just the thing!” and turns around to the BAYER display, grabs some pills, and says...”HEROIN!”
In the pan and scan version on STARZ western channel the BAYER display us cut out.
In the movie THE SHOOTIST, John Wayne's character was taking laudanum to ease the pain of his cancer.
That’s a great movie with a solid cast. I haven’t seen it in years. I just checked and it is available on Netflix streaming for anyone interested. I can’t wait to watch it tonight.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
