yeah, I'd always heard that the most popular use of Opium during the Victorian era in England was in "medicines" that babysitters used to "calm children down". Really they just drugged toddlers and put them in a room alone to stare at a wall. Pretty deadly...and stupid. It literally made the kids stupid too...they developed a lot of learning disabilities.
And in the US, doctors prescribed it for "women's problems" aka mentrual cramps. So most Opium addicts were women.
And the British used Opium to single-handedly take down the Chinese government during the Opium wars. A lot of Chinese became addicted all so that the Brits could get some tea and silver. One could argue that this led to the later Boxer Rebellion and the rise of the Communist Party in modern China.
Ah, Opium! hahaha.
This is an awesome picture by the way, I love the open shirt and the relaxed smile. Alfred's so devious!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-03-16 05:28 am (UTC)And in the US, doctors prescribed it for "women's problems" aka mentrual cramps. So most Opium addicts were women.
And the British used Opium to single-handedly take down the Chinese government during the Opium wars. A lot of Chinese became addicted all so that the Brits could get some tea and silver. One could argue that this led to the later Boxer Rebellion and the rise of the Communist Party in modern China.
Ah, Opium! hahaha.
This is an awesome picture by the way, I love the open shirt and the relaxed smile. Alfred's so devious!