Opinions of over 100 physicians on the use of opium in China.
- Park, William Hector.
- Date:
- 1899
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Opinions of over 100 physicians on the use of opium in China. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.
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![DRUNKARDS NOT NUMEROUS IN CHINA. I have no recollection of ever hearing a Chinaman voluntarily comparing the opium with the alcohol habit. When asked he readily acknowledges that the abuse of alcohol is injurious, but maintains that in China there is no comparison between the evils wrought by opium and by alcohol. From his point of view this is true enough, for although the Chinese are far from being teetotalers, yet drunkards are not numerous. Moreover, opium is dear, alcohol is cheap, and, therefore, socially the effects of the two are scarcely comparable, whatever the physical effects may be.—Lyall. They make no comparison, as all drink. A few, living in the interior, who have been to the coast and seen drunken foreigners, say the opium habit is not worse than the alcohol habit.—Machle. Much worse, because more general and constant.—McCandliss. Morally worse, the physical injury is as great.—McCartney. Worse. If in China alcohol slays its thousands, opium slays its ten thousands. The Chinese take a great deal of alcohol in the shape of sam-shn and other liquors, bnt as most of those who drink consume only a fixed amount daily, drunkenness is com- paratively rare. They never compare the two, but that they know alcohol is injurious is proven by the fact that a drinker always stops when he gets ill, and no one ever takes to it for any ailment. , When an opium smoker is ailing, he smokes more and more, but when a drinker falls ill he usually stops his daily allowance. This shows that when opium is restricted in China, and put on the same footing as it is in other countries [as it surely must be sooner or later], there is no danger that those who get ill will take to alcohol as they now turn to opium.—Park. The opium habit is extensive, both as to number of victims and amount of opium used ; 98 % of drinkers of alcoholic beverages in this part of China are moderate drinkers. Troublesome drunkards are very rare.—Randle. Opium habit considered most injurious.—Rennie. No comparison. Alcohol drunkenness is rare.—Suvoong. Incomparably worse.—Taylor, F. H. Opium habit the worse. Alcohol habit, being more inter- mittent in its effects, is regarded more favorably.—Watson and](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2100884x_0049.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
