ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the way consumption of drugs and alcohol were represented across the nineteenth century. It deals with some classic discussions of drugs and includes studies of the variety of drugs and the different contexts in which they were consumed. The book explores less-familiar substances including betel nut, emetic holly and lettuce, often drawing upon oral reports of indigenous uses. It demonstrates the range of perspectives on drink, both from a medical and purely recreational perspective. The book describes broad principles of the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the body. It introduces what came to be known as “Anstie’s Limit” the amount of alcohol that an average person could consume daily without any harmful effects—1.5 ounces of absolute alcohol. The book provides two types of spaces for consuming intoxicants: the archetype of the opium den and the public house.
