Sessional_Paper_1894 — Page 390

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QUESTION NO. 2.—Women of China do not use the opium pipe. If they ever do, it must be a very rare case. I have never seen or heard of one in this Colony.

I know of several European women of a certain class who have become addicted to the use of the opium pipe in this Colony. No others.

QUESTION NO. 3.-The only physical effect of opium eating is contraetion of the pupil of the eye and sluggish and incomplete dilitation. This does not occur at all in opium smoking. The starved appearance, if any, is caused by the opium, but by pinching the belly to procure the drug this occurs in both opium-cater and opium smoker. In the well or fairly well-to-do no such effect is ever seen in either case. Socially it makes no difference at all in manner or temperament. An opium-eater to excess wakes up feeling dull and heavy, but half an hour after his first dose is quite recovered. That this does not occur with moderate opium-eaters I am sure, as I have watched Khalasses on board ship in long voyages who were opinin-eaters and they were always among the smartest of the crews and seemed to bear fatigue and long hours on duty better than the others. I was at the time doing long voyages in Indian coolie ships and had ample opportunities of observing the opium-eaters. To my surprise they all seemed to have their limit which they had used daily for years which varied from three or four grains to half a dram of crude opium daily, and were apparently regulated by their means. All Eastern races who use it in this way are moderate when compared with the European who can stand much heavier doses, and no European cater that I have seen is content with so little.

QUESTION NO. 4.--In Hongkong and China Chinese that use opium use it for smoking only as a rule with comparatively few exceptions. There is no effect whatever observable in opium smoking as I have proved by observation and personally, (see Annual Report in triplicate enclosed with these answers). At the time mentioned there I consumed in one sitting nearly 3 mace (58 grains to a mace) or more than an average opium smoker consumes in one day. In the opium enter the only effect observable is the action of the iris of the eye before mentioned. This is the only difference to be detected between the two forms of consuming opium-eating opium and drinking solution or tinctures- the effect is practically the same.

QUESTION NO. 5.-Yes; the majority in both forms of consuming opium among Asiatics become slaves to its use if it can be called slavery in such moderate doses as the great majority consume. I should rather put it that they become habituated to its use. In my experience in Assam and Bengal of opium-caters, excess is the exception and comparatively rare among Asiatics. With opium smokers there is no such thing as becoming a sot. I was present in Canton at a large Chinese dinner party composed of wealthy Government Officials, Bankers and Merchants, during the intervals and after dinner there were some half dozen or more who smoked opium; the entertaiment began at nine in the evening and I left at four in the morning. One opium smoker I devoted especial attention to; he had a very handsome and costly pair of pipes with him and from watching him he must have smoked at least six mace of the very best opium, without any effect observed on him whatever; he was chatty and lively the whole time. I smoked myself the same evening between two or three inace without feeling any effect whatever. I have smoked hundreds of times in the last twenty years I have been in China and never felt any effect at all. (See my Annual Report with the Government Analyst's Report on experiment made at my request which is added as an appendix.) I do not believe that morphine ever reaches the smoker, the length of the pipe is about 18 inches and before the morphine in the smoke reaches the smoker's lips it is thrown down out of the smoke on to the stem.

QUESTION NO. 6.-Certainly not. The great majority of opium-eaters and smokers are very moderate in their consumption. See my Annual Report where I have given two cases one of an excessive and one of a moderate opium smoker.

QUESTION NO. 7.-No. It is a minority in all cases and a very small minority at that, and it has no effect whatever on their calling and they are just as keen as a non-consumer in looking after their own interests.

QUESTION NO. 8.-There is no comparison as any Merchant in the East could tell. A drunken Asiatic is as untrustworthy and as great a nuisance as a drunken European. An opium smoker is no more untrustworthy than a non-smoker, and is never a nuisance in any way.

QUESTION NO. 9.-The consumption of opium is certainly not looked upon by any Asiatic race, as far as I am aware of, as degrading or injurious. The consumption of alcohol in excess is regarded by them all with contempt.

QUESTION NO. 10.-Not often without assistance. The opium-eater, as a rule, believes in it as a prophylactic against fever and bowel complaints. Opium-eaters are chiefly to be found in malarial districts or among seamen liable to prolonged exposure and wetting against the effects of which it is undoubtedly a prophylactic and a powerful stimulant as well.

The opium smoker has the same idea, also that it is beneficial in lung troubles.

Then he is afraid to leave it off for it is a general belief amongst them that if they do so they will die.

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