CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 459

CONTROL OF OPIUM IN JAPAN PROPER.

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The control of opium in Japan was under considera- tion oven prior to the Restoration of Imporia Authority; for in July, 1858, when a treaty was concluded between the Shogun Iyosada Tokugava and the British Government, its im- portation was prohibited. In the Meiji Era the prohibition became still stricter, and in August, 1870, the Regulations for the Handling of crude Opium were issued, whereby drug- gists and medical practitioners were required to report to the authorities having jurisdiction any salo or purchaso of opium for medicinal purposes, and Chinese subjects in this country wore warned that the smoking and transfer of opium in Japan wore strictly prohibited and any person violating this prohibition would be severely punished; and further, those persons who were unable to overcome the smoking habit would be instantly deported from the country. In 1880 the Penal Code was issued, and brought into opera- tion in January, 1882. In Part II. Chapter V. Section 1 of this code the offences connected with opium wore defined, namely, importation, manufacture, or sale of opium, impor- tation manufacture, or salo of implements used for opium- smoking, sccking profit by providing rooms for opium-smok- ing, enticing others into opim-smoking, and possession or taking charge of opium or implements for smoking it; and the penaltics in those cases were made sovere, compared with other offences (the code was amended in 1907 and those offences were defined in Part II. Chapter XIV of the amond- cd code). Although the importation and sale of opium was thus absolutely prohibited, the Imperial Government had long_recoghizod in view of its indispensability for medi- cinal purposes, that, as the absoluto prohibition of its

treat- importation would defeat the purposes of medical mont, it was necessary to find a way for its supply. Al- though opium has from old times been produced in Japan, the amount was insufficient to meet the gonoral demand; and accordingly it was decided that the deficiency should be met by devising a means of purchasing abroad, and that all opium, whether of home or foreign production, should be made over to the Government, which, aftor determining the composition needed for medicinal purposes would dis- tribute it throughout the country, and when it had desi- gnated the druggista specially permitted to sell opium, cause all persons, Japanese or foreigners, to purchase from such druggists any opium required by medical pros- criptions. This decision enabled Japanese and foroigners to obtain medicinal opium on the one hand, and on the other strictly prohibited its private importation. The rogula-