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also comes from Formosa, is not yet as general in Fukien as
in North China, but the consumption is said to be rapidly
increasing, and far more is imported for the use of
Japanese doctors and chemists they can possibly be required
for ordinary medical purposes,
A successful raid was carried out last week by the
British Municipal Police on a Morphia Pill factory which
had been discovered in the British Concession at Tientsin.
This factory had been only a few weeks in existence and
is believed to have been operated by men who had been
chased out of the Chinese city by the action of the
Chinese Police. Business, however, would appear to have been
carried on upon a large scale, the turnover being estimated
at $45,000 a month, and the profits on the sale of pills
at something like $18,000. The factory was owned by
Chinese shareholders, but some Japanese are said to have
been also implicated. Amongst the various paraphenal ia
seized was a 5 lb tin of morphia bearing the name of Wink
and Company, London, and one tin of morphia bearing the
label of an Osaka factory together with two other tins of
the same size from which the labels had been removed. These
drugs would appear to have been smuggled into the
country from Japan. Thousands of pills, packed in cotton
bags containing about $50 worth each, were also seized.
The agitation in China against the morphia trade
would appear to have attracted some attention in Japan, and
a statement has been published to the effect that the
Opium monopolies at Formosa, Tsingtao and Dairen are to be
abolished. Nothing is yet said about Corea, but the
Japanese Goverment are to be congratulated in having taken
this step which will involve them in the loss of
considerable revenue.
This/