APPENDIX  F  437
of  opium  and  opium  dross  consumed  in  a  district,  annually,  the
proportion  of  annual  reduction  necessary  for  the  abolition  of
opium  smoking  in  ten  years  shall  be  calculated.  Any  surplus
at  the  end  of  that  time  shall  be  destroyed,  and  double  its  value
forfeited  as  a  fine.
Article  VI.  The  Government  shall  manufacture  medicine
to  cure  the  bad  habit.  There  are  many  prescriptions  for  curing
the  habit  of  smoking  opium,  and  each  province  shall  select  the
best  medical  students  to  undertake  research  for  the  best  cure
suited  to  the  circumstances  of  each  province.  Such  cures
shall  be  made  in  pills,  and  shall  in  no  case  contain  opium  or
morphia.  After  being  manufactured  such  pills  will  be  distributed
to  each  prefecture,  sub-prefecture,  department,  and  district,
at  reasonable  prices,  and  then  these  will  be  handed  over  to  the
charitable  societies  or  medicine  shops  where  the  cure  will  be
sold  at  cost  price.  Whenever  there  are  any  poor  people  who
cannot  afford  to  buy  the  medicine,  the  cure  may  be  given  to  them
gratis.  It  is  also  granted  to  local  gentry  to  manufacture  the  cure
in  accordance  with  the  official  prescription,  so  as  to  have  the
cure  distributed  as  widely  as  possible.  If  there  is  any  one  who
will  distribute  the  cure  for  charity’s  sake,  and  if  such  cure  has
the  proper  effect,  the  local  officials  shall  give  them  reward.
Article  VII.  The  establishment  of  anti-opium  societies  is
a  worthy  proceeding.  Lately,  many  persons  cured  have  voluntarily ­
  organised  an  anti-opium  society,  and  have  endeavoured
to  eradicate  bad  habits.  This  is  really  praiseworthy.  Therefore
the  Viceroys  and  the  Governors  of  provinces  shall  instruct  the
local  officials,  with  the  local  gentry,  to  organise  anti-opium
societies,  and  to  endeavour  to  stop  the  opium-smoking  habit  in
the  locality.  Then  prohibitions  will  surely  have  better  effect.
Such  society  shall  be  purely  for  the  anti-opium  smoking,  and
the  society  shall  not  discuss  any  other  matters,  such  as  political
questions  bearing  on  topical  affairs  or  local  administration,  or
an y  similar  matter.
Article  VIII.  The  local  officials  are  relied  upon  to  use  their
utmost  endeavour  to  carry  into  effect  these  regulations,  and
w ith  the  effective  support  of  the  local  gentry  there  should  be
n °  difficulty  in  carrying  out  the  prohibition.  The  Tartar
Generals,  the  Viceroys,  and  the  Governors  of  provinces  shall
make  up  a  list  of  people  who  smoke  opium  and  those  who  cease
to  smoke  annually,  and  the  number  of  pills  which  are  used  as
cure,  together  with  the  number  of  anti-opium  societies.  These
lists,  when  compared,  will  easily  give  the  comparative  results  of
eac h  province,  by  which  the  responsible”  officials  will  be  either
rewarded  or  reproved  accordingly.  L  The  annual  statistics  shall
be  sent  to  the  Government  Council,  where  their  merits  will  be