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the use of opium within narrower limits, have thus far not been more successful, in spite of the elaborate system.
One of the primary causes is the fact that the measures adopted to combat the use of opium in the Netherlands Indies, are on the whole but little furthered by the population. No vigorous movement is started by the inhabitants themselves to support the Government in its earnest endeavours to suppress the evil. Matters will gradually improve, if i. a. a higher educational level be attained. The Governmen has intimated its readiness to support financially any society that might be found willing to cope with the abuse of opium, in order to enable it to pay a propagandist. Some time ago an anti-opium: Society was actually formed, but its efforts to find a fit propagandis: have hitherto failed. Moreover, a division of the Independent Orde: of Good Templars Neutral" is operating in the Netherlands Indies This order has set itself the task of fighting the opium and drink habit, but comes too little into contact with the native population proper. Furthermore, the Government itself established a commission composed of European, Native and Chinese members, which assist it with advice in all matters touching the opium problem.
The growing prosperity, which in 1920 had probably reached its highest level, has no doubt largely contributed to the increased use of opium. Not only did the wages rise and did the lower classes make higher prices for their products, but, in addition to this, the number of non-native workmen, among whom there are always a great many opium smokers, increased to a marked extent. It should, therefore, be chiefly put down to the all-round depression and the stagnancy in trade, industry and cultures, that the figures for 1922 will be consider- ably lower than before.
It is a matter of course that the Government would have been glau to state a better result of its endeavours, but nevertheless there is no cause for uneasiness.
In the first place, namely, the use of habit-forming poisons other than smoking-opium has, as was stated above, hardly penetrated into the Netherlands Indies. This is certainly a gladdening fact. it being generally admitted that opium smoking is the least harmful form of using narcotics, notably if the drug, as in the Netherlands Indies, is of good quality. One of the ex-Managers of the factory of the Opium- Régie at Batavia, Mr. HAAK, a qualified chemist, came, after elaborate tests and experiments to the conclusion that a moderate and proper use of good opium has no detrimental effect whatever, either physicall or mentally, ')
The late Mr. WARREN D. BARNES, Secretary for Chinese Affairs, of Singapore, Inforne us as follows in his Report upon the Opium-Régies in the Netherlands Indies and Frenc
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Without fully endorsing this opinion, we may safely say that in the Netherlands Indies there is no danger of any undermining of the national strength or welfare on account of the use of opium. Naturally this will not keep the Government from vigorously proceeding on the way to a total eradication.
The quantity of opium consumed in the Netherlands Indies is relat- ively inconsiderable. If we restrict ourselves to Java and Madura, where approximately 4 of the population of the Netherlands Indies are living and where fairly reliable figures are available, the con- sumption per year and per capita of the population averaged:
4.2 mata 2) during the years 1889-1893,
3.6 mata during the years 1894-1898,
2.7 mata during the years, 1899-1903,
2.5 mata during the years 1904-1908.
3.32 mata in the very unfavourable year 1920, and
2.846 mata in the year 1921. It is worthy of note that the relatively
Indo-China with especial Reference to the applicability of a similar System in British Malaya", dated Slogapore, 19th October 1908 (43):
"I was shown in Batavia a most interesting discussion upon the physical effects of opium by Apotheker HAAK, which explains many inconsistencies in the evidence upon the subject He is of opinion that the use of opium is comparatively harmless under the following con- ditions only: first, if the opium is smoked, secondly, if it is pure, thirdly, if the amoker is expert. That chandu smoking is the least harmful form of indulgence in opium ali are, I think, agreed. As to other conditions, Dr. HAAR maintains, that chandu-smoking is always harmful unless the resins and gums and getah in oplum have been removed by the usual process of roasting and filtration, and unless the chandu so made is free from any admixt- ure of foreign organic substances, all of which have an injurious effect, either because their fumes are actively noxious, or because their presence raises the temperature at which the chandu is smoked. On this latter point he lays great stress; he points out that chandu Smoking is merely the dry distiliation of an organic substance and that the substances which "come over" in the smoke, differ very widely according to the temperature at which this distillation is conducted, ie, at which a pipe is smoked. According to Dr. HAAR the more deleterious ingredients in chandu are less volatile than those which are comparatively harmless, and the expert well-to-do smoker, who always keeps his chandu as far from the Name as possible, leaves dross which contains the maximum of morphine and other toxic matters, and gets his stimulation without any great harm to himself, while the unskilled or poorer smoker, using much more heat, obtains the maximum of stimulation out of a given quantity of chandu, but at the same time absorbs into his system many poisons which the other smoker lelt in the dross. Dr. HAAK is therefore of opinion that the smoking of dross is harthful, because the dress has, it its previous distillation, lost all the stimulating but comparatively harmless vapours which the original smoker enjoyed, and retains only the barmful ones whose effects, though similar lo some respects to those of treah chand, arc also actively injurious.
It may be added that a confirmed dross smoker cannot get adequate satisfaction out of Chandu-smoking, just as an absinthe drinker cannot be satisfied with brandy; that the typical "opium sot" or "opium wreck Is almost always a "dross-smoker" and that many Chinese carefully avoid the use of dross for fear of acquiring the dross-habit. Of course dross-eating is worse than dross-smoking though it is very common among those who cannot spare time for smoking"
2) mata = 5.83 grains.
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