OPIUM 131 



early imparted their knowledge to the Arabs/ who 

 in turn introduced the poppy, with the knowledge of 

 its medicinal properties, to India and China ;^ to the 

 latter country later than to the former, but yet as 

 early as the eighth century. But not till very long 

 afterwards, not till five hundred years or more had 

 elapsed, was the unfortunate discovery made that 

 opium, like alcohol, might be used to produce 

 pleasurable sensations. For some hundreds of 

 years its use as a narcotic has been prevalent in 

 certain parts of India, whence at the beginning of 

 the last century the Chinese acquired the knowledge 

 and the habit of using it, as a consequence of which 

 the famous import trade with India sprang up. 

 The Burmese have had much less experience of the 

 drug ; indeed they have used it extensively only 

 within the memory of living man. If, then, opium 

 has been a cause of evolution, certain peoples of 

 India — e.g. the Sikhs and Rajputs — who have 

 longest used it, should be the most resistant to it : 

 that is, should crave least for excessive indulgence 

 in it ; the Chinese should be less resistant, should 

 crave more for it ; whereas the Burmese should be 

 least resistant, should crave most for it. 



This is exactly what we find to be the actual 

 case. Numerous witnesses, men scientifically 



1 " First Report, Royal Commission on Opium," p. 147. 

 2 Op. cit., p. 148. 



