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6. We feel that there is great weight and force in.
Mr. CHAPMAN'S views on this point and we hold that these remarksshould
be borne in mind as modifying the unfavourable inference
that might be drawn from the statement that great numbers of
Chinese artisans "contracted the habit under the British flag".
I
7. In Western Countries emancipation from parental or school
control and the concomitant command of means are frequentlyaccompanied
by indulgence in relaxations previously prohibited,
and it is not surprising that the personal freedom and good wages:
enjoyed by the immigrant Chinese in Malaya enable those whO'
have any desires in that direction to acquire the habit:
8. Beyond the reasons given by the few witnesses who wereopium-smokers,
we have no oral evidence of the motives which
induced its votaries to take to the opium pipe. We have, however,
a certain amount of statistical evidence from our hospital and:
similar institution censuses.
9. We do not propose to draw any inferences from this'
siatistical information but it appears of interest and we set it out ;-
(i) Of the smokers in hospitals dealt with in Appendix XIX,
799 gave answers to the question of their reasons for
commencing the habit. Of these 799, tnree hundred
and ninety-two or almost exactly half, gave pleasant
relaxation as the reason, the other 407 ascribed their
commencement of the habit to a desire to relieve pain.
(ii) Of the smokers in Decrepit Wards (Appendix XX) 112'
were asked their reasons for commencing the habit
and 45 ascribed it to desire for relaxation and 67 to'
a desire to relieve pain.
(iii) Of the 584 Chinese smokers in Leper Asylums (Appendix
XXI) 454 stated that they commenced the habit as a
relaxation and 130 from a desire to relieve pain.
10. The result of these statistics goes to show that, of'
1,495 smokers, 891 (or 60 per cent) ascribed their commencement of'
the habit to a desire for relaxation and 604 (or 40 per cent) plead
that they were driven to it by illness. In connection with this
latter reason we may mention that experienced witnesses have
impressed upon us that Chinese coolies look upon opium as possessing
prophylactic and curative properties.
11. Dose.-It is clear from the evidence given to us that the
dose is governed by two factors-tolerance and pocket.
12. From the aspect of tolerance, the position appears to be
that the amount regularly consumed by one individual without any
apparent ill effects might be so great in regard to another individual
as to carry with it in his case all the effects of excessive smoking.
13. Tolerance would be the primary governing factor in th0'
middle and upper classes, and pocket the secondary factor.