Barbara Zucker summarized how wet nursing persisted across time and place, describing selection rituals, brokers, and the near-universal presence of women who nursed infants not their own.

This article explores the history of opium dens, which were establishments where opium was sold and smoked, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These dens thrived across regions including China, Southeast Asia, North America (especially Chinatowns), parts of Europe, and Australia. Chinese immigrants introduced the practice to the United States during the California Gold Rush, with San Francisco’s Chinatown becoming an early hub. The dens were often located in basements or back rooms of laundries and boarding houses, designed for reclining positions using long pipes heated over oil lamps. The habit spread to cities like New York, Denver, and Portland, as well as Canadian and Australian Chinatowns. In China, opium dens varied by class, from opulent spaces for the wealthy to sparse areas for laborers. Western dens mirrored this diversity, attracting both Chinese and non-Chinese patrons, including white Americans of various classes. By the 1870s–1890s, mixed-race spaces became common, with unique layouts accommodating the ergonomic needs of opium smoking. Legal restrictions began in the late 19th century due to moral reformers and anti-Chinese sentiment, leading to bans and eventual decline by the mid-20th century. The article also addresses historical narratives that often exaggerated racial stereotypes and moral decay associated with these dens.