Whilst not mitigating the destructive effect of the opium smoking habit, it is small when compared with morphia pills, These pills called by various names in different parts of the country are simply morphia made into pill form with flour. The wholesale method disposal is in white cotton bags containing 10,000 pills, The quantity of morphia in each pill varies with the price charged. Presuming that each pill contains a quarter of a grain of morphia, then the man who swallows a dozen daily, has who laboriously smokes fan ounce of Chinese opium, and instead of smoking at stated times in the day, he keeps himself continuously under the effect of morphia by the simple process of swallowing a pill. The opium smoker exists for the pill swallower, hence the much greater tendency to morea the quantity taken, Further the ounce of opium costs at' least 20 to 30 times more than the dozen morphin pills, and amongst the average poor this isa great consideration, If it bbe desired mentally and physically to ruin any section of community, easier, less expensive, and more rapid method could be "suggested, than the morphia pill habit. 'The morphia syringe is going out wf! fashion, it, is painful, i produces abscesses, by its filthyness' and Yolves a for of preparation, whereas the desired "kick" can be' obtained by. the simpler process of pill-taking, Finally the morphia pill. pre-seriis every clement which appeals the Chinese worker, it is chen effective and secretive.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.