Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-24
THE OPIUM POISON
And its Influence Upon the Success Of
Christianity in China-The Special
Characteristics OF British
Civilization.
Work OF the English Medical Temper.
ance Ass0eiation-what Missionaries
Have Accomplished, and Where
In They Have Failed.

NEW YORK, September 2l.-The Herald
says: 1t has long been a notorious fact that
what is known in China as British civilisa-
ton has had two special characteristics
opium and the gospel. The missionary comes
with mis- Bible and the merchant comes with
his opium chest, aud both are equally eager
In the discharge OF their duties Certainly
the merchant and trader is not less eager and
Industrious than the missionary. II Is also
notorious that the use of opium as a stimu-
liant and sedstivs by chewing and smoking
has been pronounced the special vice of the
Chinese people. The success of Christianity
in China would imply the diminished use OF
opium. The increased consumption of opium
would be fatal to the prospects of Christian
ity. What strong drink is TO the Western
nations opium is to the Chinese. II would
seem to be very natural conclusion that if
opium stood in the way OF Christianity it
was the duty of all interested in the
development and growth of Christianity
10 the East, but especially in China
and the Malay Archipelago, to remove this
stumbling block out OF the way. But then !
the sale of opium is a rich source of revenue
to the government OF British India. The
annual revenue from this source is certainly
not under S50,000,000. You have but to
look at the compar atively paltry sum which
is expended on mission work ia Chius, Bur-
NAH and among the natives of the Straits of
Malacca to learn on which side interest pre-
ponderates. The love of the purse comes
into strong competition with the love of hu-
man souls; and the result is that Christian
missions among the Chinese must get "a
best they can, or not at all, 10 presence OF the
influence of opium. There are those, how
ever, VINO are OF the opinion that the evil in
fuence of opium is greatly overrated. 1t is,
+. they tell ue, Que OF the most valuable arti-
Giles in the list Of modern medicines. In the
practice OF medicine and OF surgery il is in
dispensable. As an article of commerce il is
in high demand; and its cultivation givesoc-
cupation to millions of the population in
India. India is the tavorite soil of the
poppy; but it grows elsewhere; and il is ar
gued that il its cultivation were discontin-
ued in India, it could be grown beautifully in
Persia, in some parts of AsiAtic Turkey and
in Egypt. 1t Is not denied that opium is
used to excess in China; but this, it is held,
is misfortune which is not TO be qualified
or removed by any measures of force. So
long as there is a demand for opium so long
will il be cultivated, manufactured and sold,
and, like tue excessive use OF strong drink
and tobacco, the evil will yield only TO more
moral influence.
THE BRITISH MEDICAL TEMPERANCE AssocI-
ALTON.
OF late wears the opium question has been
receiving considerable attention in England.
Its use, it is feared, has been on the increase
in the community, and complaints come
louder and louder from the Chinese and
neIghboring mission felds-complaints that
lose none of their virulence and force when
they are repeated by the mission boards at
home. As result the question has been
forced on the attention OF the British Medi-
cal Temperance Association. At a meeting
of the society held few nights ago in their
rooms in London, No. IL Chandos street,
Cavendish Square, paper was read BY DR..
G. Shearer, OF Liverpool, on "Recent Apollo
gists for the Opium Trade" DR.. Norman
Kerr presided. The attendance was small.
The most powerful apnlogist, in his opinion,
DR.. Shearer remarked, was the present
Prime Minister. In 1870, during a debate
ia the House OF Commons. in reply to Sir w.
Lawson, Mr.. Gladstone said: 81 affirm that
if we are to denounce the use of opium as
something which is universally, essentially
and irretrievably bad, that must be done
after it has been proved that the use Of
opium is to be broadly distinguished from
the use of every other stimulant-a point
which is not settled yet" But, argued
DIR. Shearer, though there is distinc-
ton to be drawn between opium and
alcohol, aud the common use of the
former might vastly exceed in its baneful
effects the common use of the latter, which
there was an overwhelming weight of testi-
mony to prove, still, for the purpose of JUS
tice and fair dealing toward an injured peo-
pie, this was unnecessary. There was pre-
ponderating weight OF testimony as to the.de-
structiveness of the vice. Among the Chi
nese no advocates for the practice could be
found; the nature OF the commercial treaties
between the Japanese and the Coreans and
other nations, were absolutely prohibitive of
the trade in opium, and the action of the In
dian government in putting down the retail
sale of the drug in Burmab, went as far in
proof of the unmixed mischief caused by the
uss OF OPIUM he should think, as Mr.. Glad
stone could desire. Among the apologists
are such men as Sir George Birdwood,
D.pu,y Surgeon-General Moore and DIR.
Ayres. In opposition 10 the views of these
eminent men DIR. Shearsr quoted extensive
" from Others and then he spoke of his own
experience, gained during a residence OF
over six years in China, which had led him
to the conclusion that the Chinese
did not even enjoy comparative i'm
munity from consumption and dis
eases of the respiratory organs; that while
the drug might be of value during the par
oxysms of febrile disorders it was noL a
prophylactic against fever, and that, consid-
cred merely as a stimulant and substitute
for food its usefulness had been overrated.
The truth was that many used the drug with
apparent impunity for msnv years, and that
MANY but much The smaller number, were
very seriously injured by the prsct'ce. DR..
c. Z. Drysdale moved, and DIR. J. ]. Ridge
seconded, the following resolution, which,
after discussion, unanimously adopted:
THAT this meeting, having considered the
evidence for and against the use OF opium,
condemns it as most injurious to health and
happiness" Such is the feeling now pre-
vailing in some religious circles in England
that an anti.opium society has been organ
lied
VOICE FROM SINGAPORE.
;,;aII;,ant wrifi,1 ta
the London Times attributes the origin of
the Anti Opium Society TO the influence OF
the mission2 aries, and to their failure in the
special work undertaken in the East. "The
interest" he says, "of the Anti Opium So
ciety In the Chinese people is of Legitimate
birth-tbe progeny of the disappointed zeal
of the missionaries rather than the spon-
taneous outcome of genuine philanthropy.
The whole agitation has, in fact, been got up
BY missionaries, who, having failed IN
China, as they have too often done else
where, are driven 10 find plausible reasons
for the failure, the true one being too I'M
palatable. One old excuse of the mission
aries has been the il-deined relations be-
tween the sexes, for which they blamed their
countrymen abroad, and which they alleged
formed an obstacle to the spread of Chris
tianity. But, perhaps, on considering more
carefully the impression the mission
airy establishments themselves might be
msking on a people whose ideas of
sanctity we're indissolubly associated |
with a celibate priesthood, the China
missionaries at all events appear TO have