The knowledge pertaining to Poppy and its uses spread from India to China along the ancient trading routes.

The Chinese also delighted in the aphrodisiac properties of the plant and some writers claim that China became one of the most fruitful nations on Earth due to its appetite for Opium.

For several centuries the Chinese enjoyed Opium, either by eating it pure or mixing it with other herbs and substances also known for their aphrodisiac properties (e.g.

Ginseng).

Opium pressed into fish-shaped forms was sold as 'Ying-tsu-su' literally meaning 'fish and water are coming together' - an obvious allusion to sexual intercourse.

[Rätsch] The habit of smoking Opium only arose in the 17th century and since then Opium dens have spread all over China.

Their popularity may be compared to that of bars in the modern day western world.

Opium consumption became such a popular pass-time in China that it lead to serious social problems.

Before very long, China began to consume more Opium than it could cultivate - a situation that was promptly exploited by the British.

Previously Britain had been in debt to China since it imported more silk and spices than what it could trade for.

Britain quickly realized the potential for exploitation with regard to China's Opium consumption.

To supply China's growing need the British East-India Company soon planted massive Poppy plantations in Bengal.

The Emperor of China, realizing the potential for financial and human devastation, tried in vain to restrict the flood of imports - but it was too late.

The only result was an incredibly lucrative black market business.

The British knew how to bribe the Chinese officials and thus ensure their co-operation - even in the face of death penalties threatened by the Chinese Government.

The turnover of Opium on the black-market rose from 12000kg in 1729 to 2400000kg in 1835! Eventually China realized that it was fighting a loosing battle and in order to pay off its huge debt, conceded to make deals with Britain.

The trade deficit was supposed to be paid with tea exports to Britain.

However, in 1838, Chinese officials unexpectedly destroyed 20 000 boxes of Opium which had been stored in Hong Kong, one of the most significant trading ports.

This incidence caused the first so-called 'Opium-war'.

After 2 years of fighting, China surrendered and accepted the demands of the British - a hefty fine as compensation for the boxes that had been dumped into the sea, as well as Amoy and Hong Kong as a booty for Britain.

A further incident in 1856 caused yet more fighting and Britain, this time supported by France, invaded China.

This war resulted in further trade benefits for the West and lifting of the restrictions on Opium trade.

Due to a forced drug dependency China was firmly in the grip of the West.

By 1885 the import of Opium had reached quite astronomical proportions - 180000 boxes of 60 kg each! The number of addicts still rose - by 1878 it was estimated at 20 Million people (!) - a situation that did not change until China was eventually 'allowed' to counteract the drug abuse in 1906.

These dark times in the history of Opium also cast their shadow on the western world.

However, in the West the numbers of actual Opium users remained relatively small.

These were mainly working class people who inadvertently became addicted to Opium containing medicine.

At one stage Opium smoking became popular among a small number of people associated with the Avant Garde who were originally attracted to the exotic romanticism surrounding the drug.

This fashion only lasted a few years but despite its short duration gave rise to several great works of literature.

Coleridge, Edgar Allen Poe, Thomas de Quincey, Baudelaire, Verlaine and Cocteau are all said to have been inspired by the Poppy- muse.

The fad soon passed - yet a much more dangerous development was already on its way.

Scientific advances had made it possible to isolate and extract morphine, the most potent alkaloid present in raw Opium.

This substance was many times stronger - and far more addictive than Opium.

At first its wondrous properties were much praised and it certainly proved its medicinal usefulness during the war of 1870 when it was much employed as an extremely powerful painkiller.

The realization that many of the soldiers as well as other sick and suffering people were turning into addicts came soon - but not soon enough.

Morphine use and subsequent addiction spread through all layers of society.

There were no official laws aimed at curbing the use of the drug.

Whilst the users may have been suffering from their addiction, the habit as such was not considered socially unacceptable.

This meant that their condition of dependency did not seriously affect the social life of the user, so long as they could obtain the drug on a regular basis.

It was a tolerated dysfunction, perhaps comparable to modern day views on nicotine addiction.

However, far worse grief was soon to come - with the discovery of a still more powerful substance that, in allusion to its 'heroic action', became known as Heroin.

Heroin, a derivative of morphine turned out to exceed morphine's analgesic powers by several times.

It even appeared to cure morphine addicts from their habit if they used the new drug instead, - or so it was thought.

Alas, Heroin's moment of glory was short-lived indeed before its inherent dangers were realized and its deadly nature became obvious.

Unfortunately for the morphine addicts though, - one addiction had merely been replaced by another, far more dangerous and deadly one.

The use of Heroin spread dramatically, first in America and later also to Europe.

It is interesting to note that whilst America was never a major Opium producer, it still soon became the biggest consumer of the deadly derivative, whereas in many countries where Opium had a long history of use heroin never played a significant role.