OPIUM 139 



of the Buddhist faith] and there were also ancient laws of the 

 kingdom of Ava which forbade the same thing." 1 



And to the question — " Can you give us your impressions as 

 to the effect of the use of opium upon the people with whom you 

 were brought into contact in Burmah, whether Chinese or the 

 Burmese ? " he said : " Of the four races, I found in Upper 

 Burmah, Kachyins, Shans, Burmans and Chinese, the Burmese 

 were the more decidedly susceptible to the influence of the drug 

 undoubtedly. The Chinese seemed to resist the influence of it 

 more than even the Hill-men, but in all cases where the habit 

 was once formed the emaciation of the consumer, and the 

 deterioration of his moral character alike ensued." ^ 



To the question — " You have been speaking thus far of the 

 regulations which were established by the native government of 

 Burmah with reference to the suppression of the opium habit. 

 When the country passed under the rule of the Government of 

 India, what was the policy then adopted with reference to opium ? '' 

 he replied : "The Government of India made a very important 

 proclamation in English, Burmese, and Chinese, to the effect that 

 Her Majesty, the Queen-Empress, would not receive a revenue from 

 the sale of opium in Upper Burmah, and a law was put upon the 

 Statute Book, making it penal to sell opium or any of its pre- 

 parations to men of the Burmese race. At the same time, the 

 possession of opium or liquor by Burmans was not an offence, 

 but it has been made so during the last year, I believe." ^ 



He also quoted the following from a letter 

 written in 1892, by Dr A. T. Rose, an American 

 missionary : 



" You must not write our mission indifferent to the opium 

 question ; it has been connected with it since the days of Judson 

 and Wade. Thirty years ago I was appointed to write a report on 

 the introduction, increase, and effects of opium in Burmah by the 



1 " First Report, Royal Commission on Opium,'' p. 24. 

 ' Op. cit, p. 24. ^ Op. cit., p. 25. 



