‘Pleasures and Pains: Opium and the Orient in Nineteenth-Century British Culture’ (1995) by Barry Milligan utilises a multidisciplinary approach, including psychology, literary criticism, history and psychology, in order to examine the relationship between Britain and the Orient. Broadly speaking a work of cultural studies, the book concentrates on the trade of goods and ideas as … Continue reading
Originally published in 2011 ‘The Power of the Poppy – Harnessing Nature’s Most Dangerous Plant Ally’ by Kenaz Filan is a review of the human-poppy relationship from pre-historic to modern times. Filan has previously published works including ‘The Haitian Vodou Handbook,’ ‘Vodou Love Magic’ and ‘Vodou Money Magic’. The book is divided into four parts. … Continue reading
The following review of Alethea Hayter’s ‘Opium and the Romantic Imagination’ (1968) has been written by Mark Bromberg, and was originally published in Bellemeade Books. The review is republished on the Psychedelic Press UK by kind permission of the author. One of the most obvious effects of opium addiction on a writer’s powers is that … Continue reading
The following article was written by Jo Clarke and was originally published at synchronium.net on May 21st, 2009 and is reproduced here with permission from the author. Wikipedia may not be the best place to start a bibliographical essay; it is unpopular in academic circles due to a lack of citations and references and often unreliable … Continue reading
Originally published in 1860 ‘The Seven Sisters of Sleep’ is a classic of Western drug literature. In over a hundred years, with no reprints until the end of the 20th century, the transformation in the importance of Mordecai Cooke’s book is exceptional. Titled in its first edition with a ‘popular history of the seven prevailing narcotics … Continue reading
