CO129-387 - Individuals - 1911 — Page 168

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from Weihaiwai except under licence from the Com-

missionar.

It will be seen that a complete system

of control, leading to the abolition of the consumption

of opium in the Territory, has been established;

that measures have been taken to prevent the drug

being exported from Weihaiwei.

and

The situation in Ceylon was slightly different.

Besides those persons who were habitual consumers of

opium the vederalas (or native doctors who were trained

in the traditional Ceylonese system of medicins) hab-

The

itually used opium in their prescriptions. Some diffi

culty was encountered in the settlement of the ques-

tion of what persons professing to be vederalas had

any claim to knowledge of the ancient tradition.

matter was however decided by careful enquiry and those

persons who were found to be qualified vederalas were

registered and are entitled to use opium in treating

their patients.

An Ordinanca which came into force on the 1st of

October 1910 regulates the traffic.

The

A

The right of importing opium, whether raw or prepared,

is vested solely in the Government and is delegated to

the Principal Civil Medical Officer, who has charge of

the distribution of the drug. Opium for purely

medicinal purposes may be supplied by the Frincipal

Civil Medical Officer to qualified medical men and

veterinary surgeons, and to registered vederalas. It

can only be supplied to other persons on registration

ho pessa Registration could only be

as habitual consumers.

gished except.

affected on production of saisfactory evidence that at

he was a the time when the law was passed they were habitual con-

sumers, together with evidence of the amount which sack

he

person was accustomed to consume and the manner and form

of consumption. Thus the opium consumers in Ceylon arə

a definite number, to which additions cannot be made.

The use of the drug except for medicinal purposes must

therefore disappear in course of time. Further precau-

tions against undue use of opium are taken by limiting

the annual amount allowed to a registered consumer or

vederala to eight ounces.

The importation, possession or sale of opin

except by the authorised officer (the Principal Civil

Medical