Download or read book Opium. The Flowers of Evil written by Donald Wigal and published by Parkstone International. This book was released on 2023-11-16 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Opium, once used for ritual purposes, is a substance which dulls pain and offers access to an artificial world, and has long been idealized by artists and markets. Baudelaire, Picasso, and Dickens were all inspired to create by the blue clouds of smoke. Known as either a sacred drug or the worst of poisons, opium rapidly became popular in Great Britain and a source of commerce with Imperial China. This illustrated work presents the history and quasi-religious rites of opium’s use.