Much has yet to be done. To prevent the growth of a plant which has been
in China for at least twelve centuries, which has had medicinal uses for
nine, and whose medicinal properties have been put in the capsule for
six, is not an easy matter, far more difficult, in fact, than the
average Englishman and even those who rant so much about the whole
business upon little knowledge can imagine. Opium has been made in China
for four centuries, and although used then with tobacco, has been smoked
since the middle of the seventeenth century.[M]
A few years ago Yuen-nan had only two articles of importance with which
to pay for extra provincial products consumed, namely, opium and tin.
The latter came from a spot twenty miles from Mengtsz, and the value of
the output now runs to approximately three million taels. Opium came
from all parts of the province and went in all directions, that portion
sent to the Opium Regie at Tonkin sometimes being close to three
thousand piculs, and the quantity going by land into China being very
much greater. Yuen-nan opium was known at Canton and Chin-kiang in 1863.
In 1879, the production was variously estimated at from twelve thousand
to twenty-two thousand piculs; in 1887 it had risen to approximately
twenty-seven thousand piculs, and since then to the time of the reform
no less certainly than thirty thousand piculs.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148