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Appendix B.

ROYAL COMMISSION ON OPIUM.

Answers by the Government Analyst of Hongkong to some of the questions regarding opium issued by order of the Royal Commission in October 1893.

(1) Q. Is opium commonly consumed by people of Chinese, Malay, or other Asiatic race in your Colony?

A. Yes, by the Chinese.

(2) What proportion-should you conjecture-of the adult males of each race are consumers? Do women consume opium to any exetent? Do children?

A. The census returns give no information as to opium smoking 18,000 has been stated as the number of opium smokers in this Colony. Children do not smoke opium. Women do, but only to a limited extent.

(3) What have you observed to be the effects of opium moral, physical and social, on its consumers? Is the effect the same on consumers of each race, or can you draw distinctions between the effects on consumers of different races ?

A. As to the moral, physical and social effects of opium smoking I have had no experience of any race other than the Chinese. With the exception to be alluded to under question No. 7 an opium smoker appears to be as good a man morally, physically and socially as a non-smoker.

(4) Do consumers chiefly smoke, or do they eat opium? Or do they drink a decoction of opium? If opium is taken in two or all of these forms, can you distinguish between the effects of each?

A. The Chinese chiefly smoke opium. There are cases in which opium and morphine are taken internally by those who find the smoking habit too costly. The Chinese do not eat opium, neither do they drink a decoction of opium. When taken internally it is usually in the form of pills. An aqueous solution of the smoking extract is a common agent in suicidal poisoning. The attention of the Royal Commission might here be drawn to the morphine injection practice which has recently sprung up. Vide attached printed copies of the papers laid before the Legislative Council of Hongkong on the 12th September 1893. The confirmed opium smoker has a craving for his pipe: a small dose of opium or morphine or a hypodermic injection of a solution of morphine appears to satisfy that craving: but in course of time the internal dose by the mouth or the hypodermic injection has to be increased in strength. The man who takes his pipe of opium regularly does not appear to suffer in health. The man who has regular morphine injections unquestionably does. I cannot believe that the regular taking by the mouth of doses of opium or morphine is harmless.

(5) Do the great majority of opium consumers become slaves to the drug and eventually become "opium sots," or do you find the majority, or a considerable proportion, of consumers to be moderate

consumers?

A. The Chinese who habitually smoke opium are slaves to the drug; they do not, however, eventually become "opium sots." The majority enjoy their opium pipe and endeavour to keep the daily number within the limits defined by their incomes.

(6) Is it correct to say that there cannot be such a thing as moderation in the consumption of opium? Do you know any or many cases of consumers who have taken their opium for years without harm to themselves? If so, please give description of one or two such cases in detail.

A. It is not correct to say that there cannot be such a thing as moderation in the smoking of opium. I have frequently met Chinese who have been opium smokers for years without any apparent harm to themselves. I met the other day a very intelligent Chinese gentleman whom I have known for more than 10 years. Height 5' 10", weight 143 lbs.. age 42. He has been a regular opium smoker for more than 3 years. Previous to that he used to smoke only occasionally when discussing business with his friends. He assured me that he felt stronger now than he did 3 years ago. He is certainly a rather fine looking man. He is moreover an exceedingly smart man of business. At the same time he candidly told me that he would be very glad if he could abandon the habit not on account of the expense but through fear that in course of time his health might suffer. He further explained that the necessity of having a pipe to satisfy the craving was beginning to interfere with his business habits. This man appeared to be thoroughly sincere in his answers to the questions put to him.

(7) Do a majority of the labourers, or of the merchants, or of the artizans belonging to any Asiatic race with which you are conversant, consume opium? If so, what is generally the effect of the opium habit on their efficiency in their calling?

If possible give details and examples in reply to this question.

A. Merchants, labourers, and artizans smoke opium but in the absence of statistics it is impossible to say what proportion is addicted to the habit. As far as my experience will enable me to deal with

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