CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 482

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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(3) Syphilitic and gonorrheal joint and muscle pains.

(4) Rheumatic pains (Febrositis) due to exposure to damp and cold

(5), Muscular paius after a hard day's work in the fields or rowing a boat.

(6) Tubercular disease of the lungs as a sedative in harrassing cough.

4. Burmans, unlike Indians, pay little or no attention to oral cleanliness. A good many of them suffer from oral sepsis and exhibit inflammatory conditions of the gums or actual pyorrhea alveolaris. This, coupled with life amidst insanitary surroundings, probably results in gastric and intestinal disorders. Round worms which are very prevalent amongst Burmans also probably account for some of the intestinal troubles. Venereal diseases and phthisis are on the increase, and Burmans are well acquainted, with the pain-relieving and sedative effects of opium in these diseases. As a prophylactic for malaria, quinine is at present hardly known and almost never used by Burmans who readily resort. to opiam.

5. Judging from opium consuming prisoners in the jail, the moderate use of the drug appears to do no harm and they are easily broken of the habit. There are however a few who have taken the drug in increasing doses for years and these are usually found emaciated, dropsical and unfit for any labour. Post-mortem examination usually reveals tubercular lungs or ulcerated patches in the large intestines. There is, no doubt that while relief has been afforded by the taking of opium, death has been accelerated by the deleterious effects of the drug on the secretory and excretory organs.

6, Twenty-five per cent of opium consuming prisoners confess to having commented the use of the drug for "pleasure". When the babit is established and larger doses are indulged in, the narcotic effect results not only in physical deterioration but also in an increase of the natural indolence of the Burman. Confirmed opium eaters in jail are troublesome, untruth- ful and scheming. Their moral sense becomes impaired and they are usually unfit for any position of trust, e.g., as convict officers.

7. I have had no experience of people addicted to cocaine. During the 2 years I have been in Myaungmya not a single prisoner addicted to this drug has been admitted. The Superintendent of Excise tells me that morphia and cocaine have not up to the present been introduced into this district in any quantity, that opium is being steadily reduced as a result of repressive measures and that he fears that morphia or cocaine or both may be taken to by poople who at prosent use opium..

8, I am aware of the very deleterious effects of cocaine only from what I have read in A Superintendent of Excise in Burma informed me over a year ago that medical literature. cocaine was being used in towns by men for prolongation of the sexual act, the nerves of the penis being more or less anesthetized by an application of a solution of cocaine. Also that the drug was used by prostitutes to venereal and other sores in the vagina to prevent pain during sexual intercourse. These are uses to which opium has never been put. I am unable to say. whether the use of cocaine for vicious sexual purposes is apt to lead to a drug habit or not.

9. There are at present 3 men in the Myaungmya Jail who were addicted to hypodermic One of these took to murphia in place injections of morphia in Rangoon prior, to conviction.

of opium and said that the former gave greater satisfaction. The other two men took the drug to relieve the pains resulting from venereal infection, and though they, can, do without the drug now after 1 and 2 years' confinement in jail still have a craving for it whenever the pains recur. I am unable to say what dose of morphia was taken by these 3 men.. They are all at present in fairly good general health.

Jail Form No, 113.

33

m.

F.

M.

F.

F.

M.

:

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18

57

34

Name of Jail.

Number of

convicts

admitted

during

the year.

Number who

admitted

that they

had been

opiam

smokers

NUMBER WHO STATED THAT THEIR AVERAGE DAILY CONSUMPTION OF OPIUM WAS (IN VALUE),

REMARKS,

Two annas

Four annas

Six annas

Eight anna

More

One anna

previous to

1

or less.

or mora

than one

or more

or were

or more

than

than

than four

than six

4nSta

conviction.

*200*

two anuas.

annas,

80583.

Myantgmys

AL.

F.

M.

F.

M.

F.

M.

19,08.

777

(a) 150

*

23

:.

1909.

:.

ΤΟΤΑΣ

987

(@) 215

+14

3

:

121

1,121

业务

#

(3) 201

2,995

626

SE

3223

63

10

***

་བ་

PL

E

19:10.

17

120

A

19

E

***

:

68

***

***

257

17

***

46

64

:

Of whom 6 prisoners were registered as opium consomers.

Of whom 7 were registered as opium consumers.

Ved

ΙΩΙ

43

7

443

112

$6

Faw

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