can be answered by
loss
125
certainly the
love of revenue from this source would excite general indignation as the decrease.
has already.
in
this course of revenue-
It is a tax on a
luxury
used
by
the wider
minority. The estimated part
of opium smokers to population in China is put by the Chinese Custom Returns at 2 per thousand and
that among
the
Colony the opium smokers are under 2 per thousand. Our
Annual Reports on the Criminal Population in this
show that
among
any European Country, its criminal population,
that habitual drunkards are under 2 per thousand
I
am
Consumers
Question No 13.
habit
inside
not talking of ordinary Alcoholic Liquors.
The only Europeans contracting the habit of opium smoking
may
be those who have come
into contact with
three
notice have been two or
women in the European brothels in this
Colony
as I mentioned in
reply
to questions.
The reason is not very far to seek, Europeans
have no
belief and no
general knowledge of its medicinal efficiency. The excessive amount of
trouble in preparing a pipe and
the short time it takes for
three or
four inhalations at most is against its being a vice. With the cigar, pipe or cigarette
the smoker can
Ride, walk, Read & Write and
continue his ordinary avocations which
is the pleasure - It is for enjoying
leisure that
the Eastern modes of consuming tobacco in the
Narghile