52 
ON THE HAPITUAE USE OP OPIUM 
work for that sum while the disease pauper has it given him. This 
subject 1 may finish in the words of Mr, Ko King Shan who says “ it 
impedes the regular performance of business, those in places of trust 
who smoke fail to attend personally even to their most important 
offices. Merchants who smoke fail to keep their appointments, and 
all their concerns fall behind hand. For the wasting of time, and 
the destruction of business the pipe is um-ivaled.” The wealthy Hong 
merchants who became bankrupts at Canton were nearly all Opium 
smokers 
CHAPTER VIII 
THE HABITUAL USE OF OPIUM AS AFFECTING INSURANCES. 
Before an Insurance office will undertake to pay a sum of money 
on the death of an individual, they desire correct answers to be given 
to certain queries, and as this is an agreement entered into betwixt 
the Insurance Company on the one hand and the insured parties in¬ 
suring on the other for a mutual benefit; it is always expressed or 
understood that Policies on lives are vitiated by fraud or falsehood 
as to the health of the individual insured. Two queries are gene¬ 
rally put amongst others; one is, are his habits in every respect 
strictly regular and temperate ? the other, are there anything in his 
form, habits of living or business, which your are of opinion may 
shorten his life ? If the insured has been using Opium as a luxary 
for a short time it must he reckoned as a habit, and it is left for 
the medical man to determine whether that habit is a prejudicial one 
to life or not. 
When a student in Edinburgh 12 years ago, it was usual in treat¬ 
ing this question to remark that the use of Opium did not shorten 
man’s life, that such an idea could only have originated from those 
who had not examined the subject, and who trusted entirely to the 
extravagant relations of travellers in the east; and a triumphant ap¬ 
peal I have heard more than once made to the case of the Earl of 
Mar, who, unknown to the Insurance Office, used laudanum for 30 
years while it was stated he led a temperate and highly active life. 
Professor Christison was brought forward by the party, who wished 
