CO129-370 - Governor Sir Lugard & Public Offices - 1910 [12] — Page 208

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REPORT ON THE TRADE IN MORPHIA AND COCAINE.

FACTS.

293

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MORPHIA.

(1) The result of recent legislation has been simply to

make Macao the sole basis in these parts for the smuggling of

this drug into prohibited countries. Formerly the amugglers

took over some consignments in Hongkong, per Messre. Watkins &

Co. if they wanted pure Muriate of Morphia or per Messrs.Watson

& Co. if they wanted ready made pilla.

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(2) There is a more or lese open market for Morphia in

China itself. The morphia brokers in Hongkong and Macao at any

time quote a market price for Canton, Shanghai, Tientsin and

Peking.

(3) The drug must go into China and circulate there under

its own name. Great store is set by the labels and capsules of

the leading makers; a bottle without these vouchere is almost

unsaleable. Only recently one of the licensed firms here imported

a number of spare labels from one of the leading producers, at the

request of a customer.

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(4) Owing to the freedom of the supply, the profits on

Morphia are not sufficient to make it worth while to smuggle/or

even a pound at a time. The supply must be entering China in

lots of some seize.

(5) The present price of Morphia ex factory is far below

that at which a good deal of stock new held or on order was pur-

chased. But the supply is so free that the brokers are actually

selling this stock at a loss.

COCAINE.

(1) The whole of the output for the next five months of the

most popular makers of Cocaine (Merck & Co. of Darmstadt) is booked

up.

(2)