Page
C
192
STRANGE DEATH AT YAUMATI.
CORONER'S INQUIRY.
the 4th inst.
At the Magistracy on before Mr. J. H. Kemp sitting as corner, and & jury composed of Messrs J. Lysaught, J. Lockhead and L. E. Lammert, an inquiry was held into the circumstances of the death of a hinese male named Chan Tang, who died on January 30th or 31st,
The Coroner informed the jury that the cause of death in this case was certified by the medical officer in charge of the mortuary to be pneumonia, but as the relatives appeared to think that deceased died of poisoning the stomach contents were taken to the Government Analyst for examination. In thom Mr. Browne found a certain amount of phosphorus and a certain amount of morphine. The jury had to come to the conclusion whether the cause of death was poisoning or pneumonis. The case was an important one because the Sanitary Department were now distributing rat poison in the shape of balls containing a certain amount of phosphorus, and it was suggested that the deceased might have taken some of this rat
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE SUPPRESSION OF OPIUM SMOKING IN KWANGTUNG.
NEW OPIUM REGULATIONS.
The following is a translation of a notification issued by the Chief Bureau for the Suppres- sion of Opium Smoking in the Kwangtung
Province:
ago
for
"His Excellency has directed that the Govern- ment Institution established some time ascertaining who among the officials smoke opium and to provide for the treatment of such cases be placed under the direction and control of this Bureau which is established for the sole purpose of controlling opium affairs in the whole Province. We have deputed special officials to make inquiries into opium affairs in the Province and have also appointed other officials to make minute investigations. More over should any officials, gentry merchants or any class of people discover any persons whether officials, merchants, or others infringing the regulations enumerated below, he is respectfully requested to report same to this Bureau. A boxis placed on the left side of the gate of this Bureau for receiving reports at all times, and investiga- tions will be made on their receipt. Those who send in reports must sign their names as a guarantee of good faith and we undertake not to
posion. The Coroner called the inquiry to satisfy the relatives of the deceased, and to draw attention to the danger of these rat poison balls.
An uncle of deceased spoke to finding the sub-formation for the benefit of the Public. ject of this inquiry groaning as if in great pain Do not disobey the above instructions." on the night of January 30th. The inmates of the The following are the regulations:- house thought he had taken opium and prepared alum water for him to drink.
disclose the names. Those who send in anonym. ous reports or falsely accuse others will be punished. These steps are taken to collect in-
In reply to a question from Dr. McFarlane, witness said the man was unconscious when they gave him the alum water.
The partner of deceased was the next witness. He said their business was not a prosperous one, but deceased had not complained about financial difficulties. He did not take opium.
(1) We have already prohibited the cultiva. tion of opium in the following] Districts und Prefectures in the Kwangtung Province viz; Chew Chow, Hoi Yeong, Tang Hoi and Yew Ping districts. Ka fing, Shew Chow and Nam Hung Prefectures.
Should any person or persons discover opium being cultivated in any other places in the Province the fact should be at once reported so that investigation may be made.
(2) To ascertain the consumption of foreign opium in the Province investigation must start from Canton and then through all the branch Bureaux in the province. An investigation must also be made into the monthly sale by the shops of crude opium and whether any of the shops sell more than is reported, and the shop people will be punished on proof of the allegation being
established.
The Coroner-Had you had any rat poison from the Sanitary Department?
Witness-I did not see any about the shop. Mr. Frank Browne. Government Analyst, testified to examining the contents of deceased's stomach, and finding therein one sixteenth of a grain of phosphorous and one and one-third grains of morphine and an acid, which showed that deceased took morphine as opium. Each ball of rat poison would contain about one. thirteenth part of a grain of phosphorus. One sixth of a grain of phosphorus had caused death, while a small recorded fatal dose of opium for an adult was four grains. The one and a third grains of morphine which deceas- ed had taken would correspond to about
(4) Any person who gives a false name in thirteen grains of opium. An average
taking out his license or any person who fatal dose of opium for a non smoker would be horrows another person's license to purchase from four to six graius.
Dr. McFarlane, medical officer in charge of the public mortuary at Kowloon, deposed to making a post mortem examination of deceased
(3) All civil officials from the rank of per- manent Taotai downwards and military officials from the rank of Colonel downwards, who are proved to be surreptitiously smoking opium will be punished.
prepared opium will be punished.
|
March 6, 1909.
The fourteenth and final Session of the International Opium Commission took place at the Palace Hotel, Shanghai, on the 26th ult.
The Resolutions which had been already adopted were presented in their revised form by the Committee appointed for the pur pose, and were finally passed by the Com- mission. They will be referred by the various Delegations to their respective Governments, who will decide on their publication as they may see fit.
The full minutes of the proceedings, together with the Reports on the Opium Question, handed in by the various Delegations, will appear later in printed form, and will form a valuable record of the work of the International Opium (ommission.
After the Committee on Trade Statistics had handed in their Report, the Right Hon. Sir Cecil Clementi Smith moved that a cordial vote of thanks be offered to the Right Reverend Bishop Brent for the dignity, impartiality, and ability with which he had discharged the duties of President of the International Opium Com- mission. In replying, the President congra tulated the House not only that in the findings reached all the Resolutions were adopted nem. con.. but that they had not wholly failed in carrying the problem a stage nearer its final
solution.
H.E. Tsunejiro Miyaoka, having given expression to the sense of high appreciation in which the Commission held the services rendered by the Secretaries; the proceedings terminated.
THE HONGKONG UNIVERSITY
SCHEME
In the course of an article referring to the efforts which are being made to obtain the endowment fund for the University, the Sin- gapore Free Press observes: On the whole it would not do to build too much upon the prospects of outside help, beyond what very rightly may be expected from the Viceroys of the Southern and Western provinces. Why, however, should not the Government of Hong- kong persuade the Secretary of State to sanction the endowment of the University with some areas of Crown land likely to improve in value. Almost every ancient seat of learning or public school or old cathedral or collegiate church las originally drawn some support from pious endownments in real estate. Reference has before this been made to a scheme for tunnel communication below the Peak. thus rendering available for European settlement extensive stretches of land on the south or seaward side
and finding the cause of death to be pneumonia, prohibited. Any shop exhibiting these articles thing for a community at any given time to
The Coroner-Do you agree with Mr. Browne's evidence as to fatal dses?
Witnesss-Yes.
Is it possible, do you think, that he could have taken a large quantity of phosphorus some time previously P-No, I don't think that is possible.
In your opinion there is no evidence that death was caused by phosphorus ?--No. It was really defficult to say whether deceased died of pneumonia or opium. The congested lung was in itself sufficient to cause death.
There
Dr. Mucfarlane was understood to say--that he could not say definitely what was the immediate cause of death-opium or neumonia. was a a smell of opium about the stomach, but that was partly covered by the garlic odour.
By Dr. Atkinson-Why did you send the stomach to the Government Analyst when you noticed opium ?-There was no distinctive sign of opium. I knew that phosphorus poisoning had been laid down in the district, and I did not want any doubt left.
Dr, J. M. Atkinson, P.C.M.O., said that opium had certainly a bad effect on pneumonia. It would tend to aggravate it and hasten death. It would take an effect on the lungs almost immediately after taking.
The jury returned a verdict of "Death from pneumonia, hastened by an overdose of opium,
19
(5) All opium dens having been closed by the police, and henceforth found in existence will render the owners liable to punishment,
(6) The selling of opium apparatus is also
for sale are liable to be punished.[
(7) The sale of morphia and the syringes for injecting same is also prohibited. Any person selling opium pills containing morphia will be punished.
THE OPIUM OMMISSION.
The thirteenth Session of the Commission opened at 10.30 a.m. on the 25th ult.
Four Resolutions were submitted by the Chinese Delegation for consideration. Of these
опе
was withdrawn, Mr. Tang Kuo-an ex- pressing himself satisfied with a sympathetic statement made in connexion therewith by the Chief Commissioner for Great Britain, the Right Honourable Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, whose remarks elicited the encomiums of the Chief Commissioner for Japan. The remain ing Resolutions were accepted by tho Commission after amendments at the suggestion of the French and American Delegations.
This completed the real business of the Com- mission.
All the Resolutions adopted were handed to a Committee for revision, and were to be present- 'ed for final acceptance by the Commission as a
whole on the 26th ult.
+
of the island of Hongkong. Might the Govern ment not consider this idea, and devote a suitable area of Crown land in that district to the endowment of the Hong- kong University? Some such course suggests itself to us, because it cannot be an easy provide the whole of the capital whose interest is to supply the annual maintenance of so important an institution as it is trusted that the Hongkong University may in time bec me. The Govern- ment of Hongkong not only represents the community of to-day but the community of generations to come. And therefore, always subject to the desires of the generous donor, it would seem to be reasonable to discover some mode of distributing the responsibility for the desired endowment over a basis wider than six months of one particular generation. And it is just here that the Government, with the assent of the Secretary of State, can give exactly the help needed by alloting some of such Crown lands as may be available in perpetuo as an endowment for the University. Endowment begets endowment, public spirit and generosity forms a strong and a beneficant precedent, and the future may bring forward. worthy benefactors to emulate Mr. Mody.. The donation of a site is in itself a small thing. although we in this Colony unfortunately have had some reason to entertain painful associations with the word "site." It would be pity if the Government of Hongkong should find itself un- able to discover some means of contributing to the endowment of the proposed institution that might gain the approval of the Colonial Office.