gambling, and drunkenness. Drink maddens while opium soothes. The Government should be thankful that they have imbeciles rather than maniacs among the intemperate portion of the Chinese community.
Yee. A regular smoker suffers considerable inconvenience from leaving off smoking, and a "smoker" is, as a rule, unable to relinquish the opium pipe unless placed under restraint.
In China the majority of opium smokers use native opium only; the richer members of the community use Indian Opium. In Hongkong the Opium farm boils only Indian Opium, and the high price at which it sells it acts as a deterrent to its use. He allows little Chinese Opium to be smoked in the colony as he makes his profit from what he finally prepares.
If the supply of Indian Opium were cut off, smokers would resort to Chinese or other opium, and if it were to prevent any opium from being introduced into the colony (which it is not) they would probably inject morphine.
If 10% of the Opium revenue were lost, the deficit could probably be made up by additional taxation, but such an increase in taxation would not be much more unpopular than the opium tax is.
The smoking of opium by Europeans is practically unknown in the Colony. The practice recommends itself to a people naturally lethargic rather than to one of naturally active habits.
The Chinese commence the use of the drug in the same way and for the same reasons that induce Europeans to commence taking stimulants. The Chinese regard opium smoking as useful for the alleviation of pain such as headache, toothache, etc.
Those who feel that the use of opium is having a deteriorating effect desire to relinquish the practice. There are the minority of smokers.
There are many who urge total abstention from the drug, in the same way as many Europeans urge total abstention from intoxicants, on the ground that the habit is extravagant and dangerous. These regret to see England countenancing the importation of the drug. Many Chinese simulate a hatred of opium in conversation with Europeans because they are aware that many Europeans regard opium smoking with abhorrence.
Arguments against the importation of Indian opium into China would apply with equal force to the importation of liquor into England. It is only a finer ...
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