“The Portuguese, who navigate over a greater part of the world only procure a knowledge of how best to dispose of that merchandise of what they bring here and what they shall take back. They are not desirous of knowing anything about the things in the countries they visit. If they know a product they do not learn from what tree it comes, and if they see it they do not compare it with one of our Indian trees, nor ask about its fruit or what it is like.”
From the whimsical era of European medical practitioners encountering new ingredients and materials for the first time as they began traveling the world to conquer other peoples. De Orta specifically noted that many in India would use opium to calm mental troubles, not just physical ones as the Europeans had.