CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 480

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ENCLOSURES.

Report by Major C. C. §. Barry, I.M.3., Superintendent, General Hospital, Rangoon, on the character and effects of morphia, cocaïne, etc., as drug kabits,

With reference to your enquiry concerning the effects of drug habits among the inhabi- tants of Rangoon, so far as experience among the pauper patients and post-mortem subjects of the Hospital can serve as a guide, I beg to reply as follows:-

2. Our statistics are not sufficiently accurate to give any figures for or against an increase of the habit, during the past three or four years: nor do our records help with regard to the question of whether or not cocaine is taking the place of morphia or as to which of the two drugs is chiefly used and bas the more pernicious effects.

3. During the last six months we have entered 16 cases as cases in which death has been accelerated by drug taking: two of these cases could not, I think, be classed as chronic drug takers. Of the remaining 14, eleven were Burmans, 9 males, 2 females, of an average age of 32 years. In all these 14 cases although the immediate cause of death was some such disease as tuberculosis, dysentery, etc., yet there could be no doubt but that the drug habit had been the chief cause of the person's illness.

4. These cases were either brought in dead, having been found by the police by the way side, or were in a morbid condition when admitted, and it was quite impossible to obtain from them any history as to their habits or previous condition in life.

5. Of the cases which came to Hospital of their own will for some internal disease the numbers are I think small and such patients very rarely stay in Hospital more than 24 hours if they can possibly go out, as they cannot tolerate Hospital order and discipline even if a fairly liberal supply of some such drag as opium is given to them. It is for this reason that the Hospital experience is not of much value in estimating the extent of these habits among the general public. The drug-taker avoids Hospital as long as he possibly can and as a rule arrives here only when deserted by friends and devoid of even the strength to beg. From such cases only the very worst and extreme effects of the 'drag' habit can be estimated and no evidence can be obtained as to the particular drug used or the causes which have led to the formation of the habit, nor from them can one correctly dstimate the extent of the mischief among the general public. The cases thus admitted have always been fairly numerous and are almost invariably of Burmese or Chinese nationality but it is only recently that actual records of the cases coming to the mortuary have been kept, and as I say even in these recent records we are unable to distinguish whether morphia or cocaine or any of their derivatives is the drug used.

6. As far as private practice is concerned I have not many opportunities of observation. My practice is limited to consultation cases and amongst the better class of native patients. But my impression is that the cocaine habit is more harmful than the opium habit and is gaining ground rapidly. I cannot, however, produce any figures to uphold this view,

Report by Captain A. 8. Leslie, M.B., I.M.S., Superintendent of Jail, Insein.

Opium habit-During the year 1910, there were 2,217 new admissions to Insein Jail. Of those 219 or roughly 10 per cent were addicted to the use of opium or morphia.

2. The daily quantity consumed by these was as follows:-

One anna or less

Two annas

Four annas

Six annas

24

56

79

16

Eight aunas

30

Over eight annas

***

14

Races.-Chinamen presented the highest proportion of opium caters. natives of India few.

Burmane next,

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Mode of use. Opium eating is most popular,

Opium smoking next.

Morphia injecting last.

Reasons given for the habit-Chinamen generally gave no excuse for indulging ir it, beyond the bare statement that it is the custom for Chiuamen to use opium.

2. Burmese generally are more definite and assign various canses for contracting the

habit :-

(1) To promote good friendship they begin to cat opium in the company of their

friends.

(2) To become intoxicated, for the mere pleasure of getting drank and, as they express it, feeling absolutely happy. "You feel as if you were in Heaven" was the description of the effect produced on one.

(3) For the relief of pain, either the actual physical pain of disease or the mental pain

associated with family grief, etc.

Age at which habit commenced.-Except among Chinamen, who generally stated that they commenced the use of opium in boyhood, ie, before the age of 20, adult life from 23 to 40 seems to be about the usual age for persons to contract the habit.

Quantity consumed.-Opium eaters are very definite about the daily quantity consumed. From the table given it will be seen that 169 or fully 70 per cent use four aunas worth or less per day. Many of those questioned had continued the habit for many years-10-15. But this daily allowance was said to have been constant for years,

Effects of use of opium.—The effect of opium seems to depend very much on the quantity daily used. Those who use daily only two annas worth or less a day are practically unanimous in their statements that they get some benefit from the use of this quantity. When they get their daily allowance of opium, they sleep better, they work better, they feel better. The habit of opium eating was not responsible directly or indirectly for their imprisonment.

2. Among those who consume four annas worth a day there is not nearly the same unanimity as regards the effect. A minority say that they can work better and generally feel better, when they get their daily allowance. The majority however state that, when they get four aunas worth they do not wish to work, they want to be left alone, to feel happy and drowsy and to do no work. Among those who use more than four anus a day the con- sensus of opinion is that the use of opium is thoroughly bad. The effect for a time is to give peace of mind and happiness. They do not wish to work, they neglect all their duties. Under the influence of the drug comes a craving to steal, rob, or commit house breaking. If this effect is not produced during the actual intoxication by the drug it comes on after- wards when the pleasant effects of the drug have passed off. If work has been neglected and if there is no money to have more opium the craving to steal or procure money by any means to bay opium is irresistible. The majority of those who use four annas worth or more per day declare that their imprisonment is entirely due to the opium habit. They either committed the crime while under the influence of the drug or while depressed after the use of the drug, being unable to resist the desire to steal or rob to get money to satisfy their craving. 3. In no case could I find that the crime was premeditated and the drug used as a stimulant to commit the deed, rather the crime was an accident during the intoxication by the drug cr during the depression, after the intoxicant effect had passed off, when the craving for more opium had to be satisfied by any means available. During my enquiry nothing was more strik- ing than the emphatic statements of those who use more than four anuas worth a day that their career of crime is entirely due to the opium habit.

4. Practically all prisouers who use more than four anuas of opium per day belong to the habitual class. Many of those volunteer the statement, and I have every reason to believe it, that their first crime was theft to get money to buy opium. There was almost a monotony in the repeated statements to this effect made by prisoners.

5. The following are extracts from typical statements made by prisoners who are opium eaters →→→→

"I am now 66 years old. I began to smoke opium at age of 15. I smoke up to Rs. 2 worth per day. My first crime was theft to get money to buy opium. I have spent over 20 years in jail on charges of theft. I would never have been in jail if I had not started the opium habit,”

"I am 43 years old. I started opium habit at 20. I use eight andas worth a day. At 30 I committed my first crime,-theft, to get money to buy opinm. I will not smoke opium on release because I know that I will come back to jail again if I do." "I am 30 years of age. I began using opium at age of 24. I eat Re I worth per day. I had never been in jail till 1 began to smoke opium. My first crime was theft

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