CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 615

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the custom-houses and post offices in China, the country of importation; and in the directions where secret importa- tion is feared, the control should be made especially strict,

A short account of the control of opium in Taiwan (Formosa), Chosen (Korea), and Kuangtung Province is given below; as the control of morphine, &c. in those parts does not differ from that in Japan Proper, à description of it ia omitted.

CONTROL OF OPIUM IN TAIWAN (Formosa).

In 1894, as a result of the peace treaty after the war with china, Formosa and the Pescadore Islands came under Japanese rule, The inhabitants were such slaves to the habit of opium-smoking that it was found impossible to make them break it off. When the island was under military administration, an ordinance prohibiting opium-smoking was issued as a temporary measure; and in February, 1896, when the island was pacified and the treaties between Japan and various foreign Bountries came into effect, the Government, General of Taiwan made a declaration prohibiting the im- portation of opium and permitting the use of opium for me–

In April dicinal purpose only to those habituated to it.

of the same year after the establishment of the civil ad- ministration, the Civil Administration Bureau of the Go- vernment-General entered upon various investigations con- nected with the operation of the opium system, and enacted

which was brought into opera, the present Taiwan Opium Law, tion in the April of the following year.

The Taiwan Opium Law was first brought into opera- tion in Taihoku City and spread gradually to the communi- ties in the country until in December, 1897, it was in

Previously to this, as operation throughout the island. measures preparatory to the enforcement of the Opium Law, investigations were made respecting the method of manufac- ture of opium chandoo, amount of demand for the chandoc, customs connected with opium, and other matters, and they

The were made the basis for the enforcement of the law, raw opium held at the time by foreign merchants on the island was purchased by the Government; the medical prag- titioners required to examine and certify habituated opium- smokers were distributed in va rious localities as Taiwan