Opium. It was another way of saying gold. The wonder crop. The cure-all to various ailments. This mysterious and exotic thing was that of a generational allure. It went by many names: yapian, diyejia, yingsu, yangyao, among many other names. The latter name, in particular, has a fervent meaning to that of the foreign craze, a desire for the mysterious, foreign, expensive things. The taste of luxury was intoxicating. There was reason to believe in the crop and its magic. It grew readily among the Southwest of China, but also along the coast, it grew in tandem with other important crops such as cotton, beans, and rice, and every part of the plant could be harvested. The sap could be used for raw opium, the leaves as a vegetable, the stem could be used for dye, and the seeds could be used for oil. Initially only the rich, wealthy, and affluent were able to afford and use such a wondrous thing, but eventually it trickled down the ladder of Qing society. Eventually the common working-class citizen would be on the opium. However, as time went on, the effects of opium became more and more apparent.
Opium was not a new commodity to Japan. Previously, it was used in a medicinal form to cure diseases such as diarrhea. It existed for over a millennium in China prior to the British campaign. Why did Britain choose to use opium to flood China with. The British East India Company had a monopoly on the crop in Indian ports during these times, and wished to expand trade not only in India, but in China. In addition, the British thirst for tea was at an all time high and Chinese tea was what they wanted. The British wanted more trade leverage, but China did not have interest in British goods such as wool textiles in a country whose textiles were silk and cotton. Opium was the British solution to avoid losing trade balance and leverage.
