Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-05-14
From the New York Sun,
AlcohOl's Regal Rival.

Another suicide in this case, as in
many of which no account is taken by
the daily newspapers, the poison en-
ployed was morphine or laudanum.
"Died after an overdose of ladanum >
is the verdict. That overdose, however,
was only the elimination of long in
diligence, extending probably over years.
The usual quantity failing to produce
the desired effect, 1t was largely increas-
ed, and the end was death. Properly
speaking, this was not case of suicide
it was the result of indulgence in life
destroying vice that was certain to ter
inmate in death. Hardly a week passes
in which case of opium poisoning is
not treated in some of our hospitals. A
cure is occasionally effected, but it is on
ly temporary, and the wretched victim
almost invariably falls back into the old
ways, and the end is at last reached by
either suicide or total prostration Of
mind and body.
g | am a strong man, said aphysician,
"and have repeated opportunities to test
my resolution under the most trying cir
cumstances, yet so insidious and treach.
erous is this vice, once contracted, SC
demoralizing is its influence on the pow
er of the will, that would not dare tc
trust myself to the continued use of the
drug even for limited time. The crav
ing it creates directly effects the mental
organization, and eventually destroys all
power of resistance. | have known la
dies who in their advanced age had con
tracted the habit, and who carried the
poison about their persons in the form
of salts of opium using it almost hourly
Indeed, the vice is more prevalent
among women than among men,"
With regard to the snperinducing
cause of the evil distinguished physi
clan says; They may be divided into
two classes the physical and the moral
Under the first head should be placed al
persons suffering from neuralgia, rheu
matism, dysinteric affections. the dol
loureux, consumption, hysteria, uterine
affections, &c In such cases opium il
some form is usually first prescribed b.
physicians, and continued by the patien
after the habit has been acquired. Th'
moral causes are often pecuniary embar
rassments, disagreements, jealousies, sen
sualism, &c. In these cases the druG
is resorted too, to drown thought or pro
mote excitement.
There is no doubt that opium is too
miscellaneously prescribed, perhaps tt
the extent that if it did not exist tn,
human race would be better off. 1t is ;
most useful therepautic agent, but of al
the articles of the materid nledicd it re
quires the most intelligence and care il
its use. Patients suffering with deliriun
tremens have been killed by it, and ye
in the same disease, with proper caution
, it is a most beneficial remedial agent
In gunshot wounds, in railroad acci
dents, and in excessive hemorrhages
opium, if properly administered, is
boon to mankind; but if thrown int
the system injudiciously it is most disas
trous to human life.
Then the physical prostration pro
duced by the use of opium renders it
victims liable to contagion, unless the,
are continually under the influence 0
the drug. The sudden discontinuanc
of the use of the drug has somewha
similar effect to that produced by dis
continuance of the excessive use of al
coholic stimulants in the case of con
firmed inebriates. 1t is followed by
sort of mental collapse or great prostra
ton of the mental energies. Opium
gives and takes away. 1t defeats tn
steady habits of exertion, and create
spasms of irregular exertion. 1t ruin
the natural power of life; it develop
preternatural paroxisms of intermittin
power it brings on hypertrophy or en-
largement of the liver, habitual consti
patton, bronzed complexion, rigidity {
skin, vacancy of expression, genera
hyperasthesia, and insomnia, or sleeT
lessness a morbid condition of tn
stomach, rejecting many kinds of foo
: that are regarded by medical men a
simple and easy of Digestion acut
shooting pains that are confined to Il
one part of the body; and unnatura
sensitiveness to cold, frequent cold pc
: spirations in parts of the body, and
chronic tendency to impatience and irr
liability of temper, with paroxysms {
excitement wholly foreign to the naturi
disposition. In the long run it saps th
!. vitality. 1t engenders sterility. TIL
4 offspring, if there be any, is general
marked by organic cerebral defects, in
paired intellect and constitutional CT
ehexia, or deteriorated vitality.
The amount of opium imported int
. the United States in 1874 was about tW