"I must go through a complete withdrawal. Remove her from my system. It was the same with opium."
-Thomas, season 4 ep 2: Speak as ye choose
'It was the same with opium'
Opium is a highly addictive non-synthetic narcotic that is extracted from the poppy plant, Papaver somniferum. The opium poppy is the key source for many narcotics, including morphine, codeine, and heroin.
Was Thomas a drug addict? Maybe so, but there's more:
Early in the 18th century* the Portuguese found that they could import opium from India and sell it in China at a considerable profit. By 1773 the British had discovered the trade, and that year they became the leading suppliers of the Chinese market.
And:
Thomas Thorne, born: 1796
Died: 10 October 1824 (aged 28)
Well?? Was our favourite recency poet an opium addict??