Transcriber’s Notes Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. Footnotes are located at the end of the book. Italics are represented thus _italic_, bold thus =bold=, spaced thus +spaced+ and superscript thus a^x. [Illustration: Japanese smokers.] THE SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP. POPULAR HISTORY OF THE SEVEN PREVAILING NARCOTICS OF THE WORLD. BY M. C. COOKE, DIRECTOR OF THE METROPOLITAN SCHOLASTIC MUSEUM. “‘How many are you, then?’ said I. ‘O Master, we are seven.’” WORDSWORTH. “To re-create for man, whate’er Was lost in Paradise.” SOUTHEY’S THALABA. LONDON: JAMES BLACKWOOD, PATERNOSTER ROW. [_The right of Translation is reserved._] Dedication. TO ALL LOVERS OF TOBACCO, IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD, JUVENILE AND SENILE, MASCULINE AND FEMININE; AND TO ALL ABSTAINERS, +VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY+—— +TO ALL OPIOPHAGI, AT HOME AND ABROAD+, WHETHER EXPERIENCING THE PLEASURES, OR PAINS OF THE SEDUCTIVE DRUG—— +TO ALL HASCHISCHANS, EAST AND WEST, IN WHATEVER FORM THEY CHOOSE+ TO WOO THE SPIRIT OF DREAMS—— +TO ALL BUYEROS, MALAYAN OR CHINESE+, WHETHER THEIR SIRI-BOXES ARE FULL, OR EMPTY—— +TO ALL COQUEROS, WHITE OR SWARTHY, FROM THE BASE TO THE SUMMIT+ OF THE MIGHTY CORDILLERAS—— TO ALL VOTARIES OF STRAMONIUM AND HENBANE, HIGHLANDER, OR LOWLANDER— AND +TO ALL SWALLOWERS OF AMANITA+, EITHER IN SIBERIA OR ELSEWHERE—— +THESE PAGES COME GREETING+ WITH THE BEST WISHES OF THEIR OBEDIENT SERVANT, _The Author_. PREFATORY PREMONITION.