The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-08
MORPHIA DISEASE.
The Abuse OF Narcotics in Modern
S0eiety-'rerrible Consequences.


The vast abuse of narcotics in modern
society is becoming. the London Lancet
remarks, a serious evil. There is no de-
nying the fact that IN countries where no
administrative control of chemists shops
exists, as in England and America, the
public has too easy access to such drugs.
The report OF the medical officer to the
Privy Douncil on the use of audanam in
the industrial districts of England, for the
purpose of keeping infants quiet, startled
its readers some years ago 1t is not
long since political weekly contempt
rary boldly contended that chloral was
to be found IN the work boxes and bas-
kets of nearly every lady In the West
End, Ito calm her nerves." Choral
punch had become an "institution" in the
drinking saloons of New York scarcely a
year after its introduction to medical
practice. Now we hear from sober, or
DERBY, and paternslly ruled Germany,
that there is such thing rs morphia dis
ease spreading among its population. The
easy application of simultaneous iniec
tions lett to the patients themselves. or
their attendants BY indulgent practition-
ers has proved so tempting to persons sf-
flicted with bodily or mental pain that
they have taken to habitually practicing
them, and, Of course, US in the case OF the
continued and uncontrolled internal use
of opium, alcohol, or choral, the effect
soon becoming weaker, the dose has been
incr eased, and, in some cases related by
the ply stefan OF the private maison de
sante at Berlin in the Hin. Wochen-
schrift reached the amount of from
twelve to sixteen grains per diem. The
symptoms seemed to DO very much like
those OF opiua>-eating. One lady took 80
morphia injections, after she had become
acqualr ted with their effect in an attack
of gall stone collie during the French war,
when the anxiety about her male rela-
tions in the field weighed too heavily on
her mind to stand the mental stress. AT
ter she had practiced the soothing oper-
alton four years her face showed n gray
ish- leaden hue, the pupils became the
size of a pins head. Violent shivering
alter the type of certain fever, hyper@s-
thesia and neralgia, dislike for meat diet,
great weak ness, inability to pursue and
continue occupation, exist with unimpair.
ed intellect and memory in the well-edu-
Gated and clever patient. She was cured
in the space of four weeks by gradual de-
privation ofth drug Ifpatients subject
to this kind Of disease become aware of
their State they are apt to change it
into alcoholism. The wife OF "A medical
man who SAW in book on Materla
Medica that alcohol WAS considered an
sntidote for norphia became confirmed
drunkard. The author observed four
similar cases. In two other cases the pa
tients committed suicide, and two died
from marasmus. These last four had re.
fused medical treatment. The task OF the
rhysician seems to be always very Diff
cult one. as it is impossible to wean these
patients from their habit unless they are
treated like prisoners, searched before adj
mission to the hospital or sick-room, put
under the guard of attendants inaccessi-
BILE to bribery, and cut of from all COM
munication with the outer world before
the critical time has passed. The most
highly educated and otherwise respects
BILE will tell any amount of lies and per-
jure themselves to procure the accustom-
ed poison. Like dipsonsnis and opium
eating, the morphia disease desrades the
moral character.