Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-04-27
0pium-Eating In new York,-l,s Fearful Ex-
"a .Aa} tent

Opium Eating Ia new York,-lIs Fearful Ex-
81 ,.a.a} ~ tent.
LADIES USING OPIUM.
The use of the pernieious drug is not
con6nded TO the men there are hundreds
and thousands of women who are in the
daily habit Of Intoxicating themselves
with it, and they are found in all grades
Of society, but chiefly among those who
are not dependent upon their own exer-
tons for their support Some of the drug
stores uptown and in Brooklyn sell more
opium to women than to men, the latter
buying chiefly at down town shops. Not
long ago a lady of one Of the first families
was arrested on the street for drunkenness
and locked up in one of the station-houses.
She had all the appearances of being in
"toxicated, and the police very naturally
concluded that she was of the fair but
frai class, and the best thing t. do with
her was to lock her up. Itturned out on
investigation that she was wholly innocent
of having swallowed fusil oil or anything
of the sort, but had only been INDUCING
in opium. The affair was hushed up, and
the name of the lady did not appear in
print. Two or three cases like this have
occurred, and some Of the police say that
they have made several arrests under the
mistaken impression that their subjects
were suffering under too heavy stress of
whiskey. ...l.
Very few of the ladies who use opium
venture into the street while under its in
iuence, and the fact that these arrests
occur in public, shows that the habit is
very widely spread. Many of those adj
dicted to it conceal the fact from their
nearest friends, while others are in the
habit Of meeting in little parties and hav-
inga social chew just as some ofthe ladies
down South used to indulge in social
"dips." Opium takes the place of snuff,
and the parties generally get up to a high
pitch of enthusiasm. AS opium does not
lead to head-breaking and combative
intoxication, like whiskey or other strong
drink, the fair creatures do not, save in
rare cases, disturb their neighbors while
at these opium seances. An exception
is sometimes found there was one few
months ago when the female inmates of a
house on Fourteenth street fell to pulling
each others hair, and committing other
breaches of propriety while under the
influence Of opium. But then it must be
remarked that they were not, as best, the
possessors of good characters.
OPIUM AMONG MEN.
Men makos less concealmeut of the
opium habit than women, and from their
more frequent mingling in business at
fairs they are more liable to detection. |
know several men in business who ARE in
the habitual use of opium, and generally
carry neat little humps in their pockets.
The use Of the drug gives them sort Of
nervousness of manner, which is probably
the first sign to be discovered. Any me-
tropolitan reader Of this can probably call
to mind from one to half dozen men he
has met whose manner indicates that they
are no strangers to opium. | know two
editors who use good deal Of the drug !;
one has not yet impaired his faculties with
it, though he will do 50 be fore long; the
other has taken SO much of the narcotic
that his brain is stupefed, and his thoughts
often wander. Still be writes and often