Sessional_Paper_1909 — Page 130

Restriction

38

Thus to produce the same narcotic effect 1 grain of injected morphia at a cost of 7 cents-233 grs. of smoked opium costing $1.32! The profit to the sellers of these pills is also enormous for they are sold at four times the cost price-75% profit. There is little occasion for surprise that vendors and purchasers are alike cager to obtain them!

There is I rejoice to say some indication that the Chinese Government are waking up to the danger. The Governor of Kiangsu submitted a Memorial to the Throne pointing out that, there was some chance of curing opium smoking, but none of curing the morphia habit,since morphia is obtainable at a fraction of the cost. This led to the Edict of July 16th (Times August 22.08) in which it is decreed that any Chinese subject selling morphia (or making instruments for its use) without a Custom's permit shall be banished to a "pestilential frontier of the Empire". But the facts I have already quoted, and the verdict of those who are in the best position to form an opinion, shew that the steps taken have so far been ineffective, and that smokers are becoming eaters or morphia injectors.

While evils such as these are imminent in China, which contains so large and intelligent a proportion of the human race it is time that the conscience of the Western Nations was touched, and that their efforts should be directed towards the real issues, which concern alike their honour and China's welfare, and I earn- estly wish that those who so disinterestedly devote themselves to the eradication of opium smoking, would turn their attention to this terrible evil and be content with Regulation and Control of Smoking.

*

In Hongkong a strict control is maintained over the sale of morphine and of Morphine opina compounds. The quantity imported for local consumption for 1906 and in Hongkong. 1907 averaged 5,000 lbs. of the latter. In order to enhance the price every person licensed to sell has to pay Royalties to the Opium Farmer, so that all the machinery at his disposal for detecting illict import and sale is brought into play. Licenses are only granted to qualified Chemists of repute and to such Chinese Druggists as had vested interests in the trade before the introduction of the Legislation. If the business changes hands the licenses are not renewed. Licensees are required to keep books recording all sales and to issue certificates to all purchasers. Several of these licenses to Chinese vendors have lately been cancelled for breach of the regulations, and it is proposed not to renew the re- mainder after one year's notice. At present exemption is only granted to certain well known medicines prepared in Europe or America (specified in a schedule) and to all prescriptions male up on the order of a qualified medical practitioner. Represent- ations have been made by the Chamber of Commerce and by one of the large European druggists complaining of the restriction on trade, and claiming exemp- tion on all preparations in which opium or morphia is not the sole ingredient, but this would defeat the object in view, viz., to check the sale of the so-called "anti-opium" pills containing morphine, etc. To limit the quantity of opium or morphia contained in a pill would obviously be futile for several could be taken to produce the result desired. If it should be possible I should wish to prohibit the sale of all pills, powders, or draughts (except on the prescription of a qualified medical officer) which contained opium or morphia, unless in combination with some other drug in such proportion that it would be disagreeably operative-say an aperient or an emetic-if the pills were consumed for non-medicinal purposes. The transmission by post of opiuin, morphine or cocaine is prohibited and it is also proposed to abolish the bonded warehouse for compounds of opium and morphine hitherto maintained by the Farmer and to retain a Government warehouse only. The question is at the present moment under the consideration of the Government.

The drastic Ordinance of September 1893 "for the suppression of the perni- cious practice of injecting preparatious of morphine by unqualified persons", together with the provisions of the "Prepared Opiumn Ordinance" which imposed a Royalty of $30 per tacl for morphia (=500% ad valorem) and $5 for opium, † have been so effective in restricting the illicit use of these drugs, that whereas in the Straits Opium Report Hon. Dr. Galloway stated that 39 out of a group of 595 prisoners taken at random (viz., 63 %) bore injection scars, only one person so scarred was on a recent examination found in the whole of the inmates of both hospitals and gaols of this Colony.

*The Straits Commission endorse these views; Morphia they say has an infinitely greater compelling power over the subject, and an infinite. greater deleterious result (Report § 144). It is easier to smuggle, and the prohibition, or the too great enhancement of price of opium, would increase morphia consumption (Report § 256). Ordinance 15 of 1906 and subsequent Amending Ordinances.

Report Vol. II. p. 10.