[Ads-l] Antedating of "Dope" (= Opium)

[Ben Zimmer]

Sacramento Bee, Dec. 17, 1880, p. 3, col. 2
The City Attorney then held up a long needle-like steel wire which Parker
designated a "yen hock," explaining that the opium is placed in the form of
a small pill on the end of this instrument and after being heated or
"cooked" in the flame of the little oil lamp, is rolled until it attains
the right consistency and then placed over the minute hole in the bowl of
the pipe, a hole punched through [subhed] THE "DOPE" [end subhed] Or Pill,
and the crater-like dab lighted over the lamp, the smoker inhaling the
fumes either in what is technically called the "long draw," or the "short
draw." [...] The deposit left after the "dope" has been smoked out, is
carefully gathered together, and is sold to the trade at the rate of $4 per
pound.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-dope/190859839/

On Sun, Feb 8, 2026 at 8:01 AM Shapiro, Fred <
00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> dope, n. (OED, 3.b., 1886)
>
> 1881 Oakland Daily Evening Tribune 23 Apr. 3/3 (Newspapers.com)
>
> The "layout," consisting of tray, pipe, lamp, "dope" or opium ... were
> produced in Court.
>
>
>

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