Report of the governor general of the Philippine Islands. [1908]

26

2REEPOR3LT OF THt P'HILIPPIXV, COMMISSION~.

after which date the importation or use of this drug by any person,
except for medicinal purposes, was prohibited by act of Congress.
This law of the Commission was largely successful in restricting the
opium habit to those who had already acquired it, but a very large
majority of these individuals continued to indulge themselves up to
the last moment when they could legally do so.
There is reason to believe that for some time prior to March 1 unscrupulous persons, probably through the medium of an organized
corps of instructors, began systematically to teach the use of cocaine
to opium habitues. There was great danger that one bad habit might
thus be replaced by another, and the Philippine Legislature on October 10, 1907, repealed the first opium act and replaced it by another,
which embodied also the necessary provisions restricting the use of
cocaine, alpha or beta eucaine, or of any derivative or preparation of
these drugs or substances. Since March 1 the use of opium or cocaine
for other than strictly medicinal purposes has been unlawful, and the
importation of these drugs may be made only by the government,
which will not sell them to anyone not clearly entitled by law to purchase them.
The. possession of any opium pipe, hypodermic syringe, apparatus,
instrument, or paraphernalia for the use of opium or of any hypodermic syringe for the use of cocaine, alpha or beta eucaine, or any
derivative or preparation of such drugs or substances, or any other
apparatus especially designed for using any of the said drugs or
substances in or on the human body, is deemed prima facie evidence
that the person in possession of such pipe, hypodermic syringe, apparatus, instrument, paraphernalia, or articles, has used some one
of such prohibited drugs or substances, or the drug or substance for
the use of which such apparatus, instrument, or paraphernalia are
especially designed, without the prescription of a duly licensed and
practicing physician, unless such prescription is produced by such
person.
For some time after March 1 conditions among opium users
were deplorable. Free hospital accommodations had for a long
time previous been available for those who desired them but had not
been made use of to any extent. Now the rush was so great that the
San Juan de Dios Hospital, with which the government had a contract for the care of opium habitues, asked to be released because it
lacked proper facilities for guarding and restraining so large a number of frantic persons. In order to meet the emergency it proved
necessary to utilize several of the wards of the new insane hospital
at San Lazaro, where pandemonium prevailed for some time. The
thanks of the writer are due, and are hereby extended, to the Chinese
consul-general and to the Chinese chamber of commerce for aid in
dealing with their people, and to the Rev. Mr. Studley, who, at great
risk to his personal safety, took up his residence with these unfortunates and worked unremittingly as a hospital attendant for
their relief.
The results obtained at Manila were highly satisfactory. Our
experience seems to show that the opium-smoking habit is not especially difficult to treat, but in treating persons who have become
accustomed to take the drug by the mouth, or to use it hypodermically, much more difficulty is encountered.