An Early Letter, From Treasury to Customs, Concerning The Importation of Opium!


BENJAMIN HELM BRISTOW, Grant’s Secretary of the Treasury helped to suppress moonshiners and the Ku Klux Klan - but when he smashed the Whiskey Ring, Grant’s cronies forced him out of office.
Letter Signed, as Secretary of the Treasury, 2 separate pages, 7.25” x 9.75”, Treasury Department, Washington, September 20, 1875. To the Collector of Customs in Philadelphia. Choice Extremely Fine. A fabulous letter, reading in part: “Messrs. Sanmannt & Kemp...were informed, in answer to certain complaints they had made in regard to the matter of examination of Opium at your port, that the failure of your officials to make a test in all cases to ascertain the percentage of morphine contained in Opium was irregular and that Opium hereafter imported found not to contain 9% of morphine must either be exported from the custody of the customs officers or proceedings taken for its destruction. It now appears from a report...that it is the opinion of the Drug Division of that office that Turkey Opium of commerce does not require testing except in doubtful cases. In view of this prevailing practice at the Port of New York you are hereby authorized to... exempt such Opium from a chemical analysis except in cases of doubtful character. The question as regards testing of the other classes of Opium will be determined at a future date.”

Most of the importation of opium came from Turkey, inasmuch as it had a 10 to 13% morphine content, which made it suitable for pharmaceutical use.