St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-17
CHINESE OPIUM SMOKERS.
Many Thoueands of the Native
Would Be Free From the Habit

Many Thoueands of the Natives
Would Be Free From the Habit.
Cheok Hong Cheong. Superintendent
or the church mission to the Chinese in
Victoria, b. O., has just arrived in Lon
don as the representative of Chinese
society IN Australia, which is anxious
that the importation of opium into thai
continent be prohibited, SAYS the New
York Sun. He says the Chinese victims
OF opium smoking in Australia are
themselves eager to have tempta-
ton placed beyond their reach. Il
have met in my time" he says, thou
sands of opium smokers who are anx-
Ious to get rid of the baleful habit. but
they cannot 50 long as temptation is
within their reach" He adds that II
England can be induced to wash her
hands of the traffic there is every rea.
son TO believe the Chinese government
will be compelled by the strength OF
public opinion III China 10 take steps to
stamp out the traffic. Lii Hung Chang.
the ablest statesman of China, is op<
posed to the opium trade. and has writ
ten and spoken most strongly against
the traffic.
A while ago the society for the SUD-
preston of the opium trade was organ
lied in London. The society is collect
Ing large amount of information about
the calamities which opium is infiicting.
Ihey corr0borate the statement that
even smokers condemn the practice. In
a statement of the prevalence of the
opium habit in China they say smokers
wish TO be free. and yet cling to the
pipe as its slaves. Fifty years ago the
opponents of opium smoking in China
bad to contend only with the foreign
import. They have now in addition the
large native growth. Fifty years
ago there were probably not over
100000 smokers i'll China. The
number is now estimated at 20,
OOo,0oO Formerly the habit was con-
lined to adult males. 1t now numbers
among its victims women. and even
children, particularly in the large opium
growing regions of the upper Yangtse
river and Southwestern China. The
habit is particularly common in these
opium-producing regions, where it is es-
tlmated that from so 10 80 per cent of
the men above twenty years of age
smoke, and 80 or 90 per cent of the
women, not to speak of the many young
people in their teens. In the non-pro-
duclng districts the evil is chiefly con-
fined to the cities. The villages are
comparatively free. In Canton over
seyen-tenths of The officials smoke
opium. In human not one tenth OF the
same class are addicted TO the pipe.
The imperial family and the high Off
GERS of state in the capital and through
out the empire are free from the vice, il
Is said, but the evil seems 10 be spread
ing more every year. 1t is slowly find
ing its way into agricultural districts, is
permeatlng all classes OF society, and is
not looked upon with the same abhor-
renee as formerly. The Iegalization of
the import many years ago "a crime for
Which the British are responsible, for
they forced opium upon China merely
to secure large market for the Indian
product did much to spread its use
The society says the reports OF its
mission hospitals speak in the. clearest
language of the widespread extent of
the evil. Large numbers of OPIUM
smokers apply yearly for relief. Large
numbers are treated in the wards and
in refugees set apart for their treatment
The extent of the evil may be inferred
from the great sale of native aud foreign
remedies to cure the habit. The cry
everywhere is, Deliver us from this
curse" There are many who under
take their own cure by means of
opium ashes mixed with some me-
dicinal ingredients. A few heroically
undertake to give up the indulgence
without help of any kind, no matter
what may befall them. and some are
kno OWN TO have persisted in the attempt.
The ordeal through which a smoker
passes who tries to break off the habit
is so severe that few have the courage
to support it. The victim loses his APP
petite. is seized with pains in his bones,
an indescrbable feeling of prostration
and distress pervades the whole body,
sleep forsakes him, and the horrors of
the day are added to those of restless
~ &c o.Iy, - oiNn
the third day, partly subsiding by the
fifth or sixth day, andit the victim holds
out for half month he is usually able
to withstand further temptation.