CO882-(4-5) — Page 425

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Reference :-

TTTTITCO. 88?

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them have easy access to them through the translations. highly recommended as a medicine, and the Vederales accordingly prescribed it largely. In these works opium is Hence the use of the drug.

The people do not consider the use of opium as an evil, for they never use it here for evil

but for its medicinal value. They consider the use of arrack, and especially purposes the unlimited use of it, and more especially the use of the adulterated arrack as is sold here a greater evil, doing more horrid mischief than the use of opium, which is extremely limited. And in the opinion of the people, I beg to submit, I fully concur.

The use of laigium, tailum, and mada, all these preparations of a combination of bhang and opium with other ingredients, is not known in my korles.

The use of these drugs is really a great evil, and I am glad that these drugs are still unknown here.

The quality of the opium sold in the licensed shops here is very bad. It is adulterated with different stuffs that would readily mix with the opium. This is an evil that should be prevented, for when thus adulterated it will lose its medicinal value..

25. Mr. Nevill, Acting Government Agent, North Central Province, says: district, opium is not consumed on the seller's premises. The effects of the use of the "In this drug have not been noticed, as the people have only of late taken to opium, and excessive indulgence is very rare as yet. Its use is extending rapidly amongst the "Sinhalese villagers. to whom it was formerly unknown. It is cheaper, easier to transport, and held in less opprobrium by Buddhists than arrack. I believe its increased use here is due to the extra difficulty the villagers have in procuring arrack "for moderate use in small quantities."

26. Mr. Rudd, superintendent of police, Galle, says: "None of the women or boys shown on this return were regular consumers of opium or bhang. They were purchasers for others.

"By the conditions of the licenses at Galle for 1894, no opium or bhang can be con- sumed on the premises.

The Sinhalese purchasers from outlying villages

extending rapidly among the Sinhalese.

bought the largest quantities of opium, thus pointing to a rural class of consumers who depend on illicit sales.

From all I can gather, the use of opium is at least 1,000 persons in this province (population 33,590) who habitually eat or I estimate that there must be smoke opium."

27. Mr. Le Mesurier, Assistant Government Agent, Matara, says: "I do not believe "the use of opium injuriously affects the population, it certainly does not do a tithe of the mischief that drink does. I think its use is spreading, especially amongst the Sinhalese, and it would spread much more rapidly were it not that it is considered bad form to indulge in it.'

28. Mr. Templer, Government Agent, Batticaloa, says: “ As far as can be ascertained only one old rheumatic woman consumes opium in Batticaloa town. are no habitual opium and bhang consumers in Batticaloa.

There As a rule, a small quantity

is purchased, at most the weight of a cent piece, costing 30 cents, which lasts for two or three days. There are no smoking dens; in fact, a practice so common in Colombo " is unknown here.

་་

Opium is taken in small pills before and after meals. Sinhalese carters, plying carta between this and Badulla, purchase opium, generally a quantity to last their journey.. Bulls are given opium mixed in coffee, under an idea that they can endure fatigue and draw heavy loads faster and better whilst under this stimulant. Native Vederales buy it very frequently for medicinal purposes. Roughly estimated, about 20 people purchase and consume opium in Batticaloa (population 7,257). Mostly those who use opium are sickly people with rheumatism and other complaints. In 1893, nine balls of opium, each weighing 21 lbs., were sold in Batticaloa.

The increaso

in its use is not perceptible, Tamils and Moors are those who use it most. used by any other class here."

It is not

29. Mr. Burrows, Assistant Government Agent, Trincomalie, says: query whether it is a growing evil, I think I should say there is a tendency towards "As regards the increase in the use of the drug, but it is very doubtful whether this increase is in advance of the increase in the population, and still more doubtful whether the use of the drug, chiefly for medicinal purposes, can be considered an evil."

30. I have visited an opium shop in Colombo, where the drug was allowed to bo consumed on the premises. Nearly the whole of the customers, however, carried away what they bought, and though the hour (between 5 and 6 p.m.) was the most busy time at the shop, I only found six persons inside the little room used for smoking.

The place was most unattractive; a few dirty mats and pillows placed on the earth floor were the only attempts at comfort for the smokers, and the room was small, dark, and close, and could, at the most, only acccommodate eight or nine persons. Certainly, the pleasures of opium smoking were not enhanced by the surroundings. No one of the six persons smoking in the place appeared to be the wreck so often described.

31. As I have above stated, the figures in the tables cannot be accepted as accurate, owing to the difficulty of judging the number of the population from whom are drawn the customers each shop. We may, however, accept them, with 20 per cent. added to the town population, as approximate. The customers consist of two classes, viz., those who obtain the opium as a luxury and those who obtain it as a medicine for themselves, their families, and their cattle. Among the former class, which I believe to be the smaller of the two, are the habitual abusers of opium, who are, I am inclined to think, at present very few, but are probably slightly increasing. But it is probable that many of those who become slaves to opium would, if they were prevented from doing so, become slaves to some other vice, most likely drink. An opium enter never touches spirits and there cannot be a doubt that if opium were made unattainable there would be a great increase in the consumption of the much more injurious arrnck. I have asked many Sinhalese which they consider the most injurious vice, abuse of arrack, opium, or bhang, and they all say the same: arrack first, bhang second, opium the least harmful of the three.

32. On the other hand, opium is obviously such a valuable and much used medicine, both for human beings and cattle, that it would be most unfair and most dangerous, on account of its abuse by a few, to place such restrictions on its sale as to make it difficult to obtain. Its increased consumption in the island is, no doubt, chiefly due to its increased medicinal use, and I doubt whether it has even yet equalled the sale of many patent medicines, the abuse of which is as injurious.

33. I doubt if the law enforced in Burmah, by which consumption on the premises is forbidden, would have any beneficial effect. In most opium shops in the island, there is no accommodation for consuming on the premises; in those that have accommodation, it is so unattractive that it offers few temptations. I find also that opium-smoking parties in private houses are more common than at the shops.

34, My own conclusions, drawn from the inquiries which I have made, are that there is no evidence to show any very increased abuse of opium in most parts of Ceylon, while its increased use as a medicine has doubtlessly been beneficial, but that, in certain parts, there does appear to be grounds to believe that its abuse may be extending, and that further local inquiries in these parts would be useful with a view to restricting the number of licensed shops, if necessary.

35. I submit Appendix B. as showing the number of customers at the various shops for the sale of bhang under observation on one day. The numbers shown is exceedingly small in proportion to population; but bhang may be so easily grown, or obtained from uncultivated plants, that the return shows, I fear, a very small per-centage of those who actually use the drug. At the same time, I doubt whether its abuse is so prevalent as many people are inclined to believe, and it is certainly rare to see a person strongly under its influence in public.

36. It is, I understand, a good deal used medicinally, especially in cases of asthma.

"Three different pre- 37. Dr. Paul, resident surgeon of the Jaffna Hospital, says:

parations of hemp are in use, viz :—

1. Kanja Lakyaw (Indian hemp electuary).

2. Kanja Laddu (Indian hemp, candy).

3. Kanja Nei (Indian hemp, ghee)."

(See samples herewith sent A., B., C.) "These preparations are generally made to "order by native physicians, and in some places they are sold in retail. I know of "several persons who take bhang occasionally in small quantities, and a few who are

habitual consumers.'

แ

38. The Government Agent, Uva, says: "From these statements, it would seem that there is no consumption of bhang in Badulla, and from other sources I learn that no bhang is used in other parts of the province."

39. The superintendent of police, Colombo, says: "In respect to the sale of bhang "in Colombo, bhang is a mixture of opium and ganja, which plant is grown every- "where. I have some growing within a few yards of this office, and the man who "wants bhang can mix his own by buying or otherwise obtaining the ganja leaves

CO882-(4-5) — Page 425

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