The Portland daily press., 1876-10-28
OPIUM EATING.
Action of the Cumberland Medical AssO-
ciatiOn.

ception of the frightful extent to which the
habit of opium eating prevails. Everybody
knows when a man is addicted to drink, fol
the tendencies of alcoholic inebriaton are al
most always toward publicity. Aside from the
influence of our most absurd and pernciou;
| American custom of treating which is well
calculated to reveal mans appetite for liquor
to his fellows, the boisterous hilarity or noisy
/ pugnacity so commonly induced by alcohol are
| very sure to expose the drunkard to the obser-
walton of the community sooner or later, how
ever carefully he may endeavor to conceal his
| weakness.
But with regard to opium the case is very
| different. There is nothing couvivial about it.
| One does not invite his friend to step into an
| apothecary's shop and have a social glass of
| laudanum and water, or urge him to drink the
health of a fair lady in a bumper of paregoric.
| The opium eater seeks quietude and seclusion;
| companonship disturbs the course of the sooth-
| ing visions which float before him and lull him
| to sleep. Hence it is that the members of his
immediate family are often unaware of the
| danger which is gathering around him, until he
| is a slave to an appetite which is almost un-
conquerable.
An English physician who had resided a
great many years in China reported
recently that he had seen more than three hun
dred patients enter one hospital to be cured of
the opium habit, aud 10 no one of these cases
was the desired result attained. There was no
authority to keep the patients beyond their
WILL and all lacked sufficient courage and
strength to persist in the total abstinence from
the seductive drug, which was cardinal point
in the treatment. Though physicians do not
generally LOOK upon the cases as absolutely
hopeless, they all regretfully acknowledge that
they approach no task in which success is pos
sible with less heart than that of treating
confirmed case of the opium habit
In the beginning the opium is usually taken
as medicine, perhaps by advice ola compe-
tent medical man. The relief from pain and
sleeplessness and the mental tranquility which
follow the use of the drug are strong tempta-
ton to try its effects when there is no serious
indication for its employment; and soon the
victim finds himself unhappy and restless with
out his regular daily or thrice daily dose. The
amount is gradually increased until the medi-
cinal dose which originally sufficed to produce
the characteristic effects of opium, has no APP
probable influence, and the quantity which is
consumed by some of these wretched creatures
is almost beyond belief.
There is one person r this city who is credi-
bly, reported to have ha5tually taken pint of
laudanum every twenty-four hours. Some
idea of the prevalence of the vice may be
gained from an estimate, believed by compe-
tent judges not to be extravaganza, that not
of ,bo Ill
brought to this country is used by advice of
physicians.
In view of these facts and others of kin
bred nature which could be easily cited, no.
body woo has spark of kindly feeling will be
disposed to censure us for holding up to public
execration a wretch who would deliberately
and simply for the sake of making money, riv-
ct still more firmly the chains which bind the
victim who has creduously confded in the
solemn promises of speedy release from bou-
dage. 1t is difficult to amagipe the existence
of so abandoned villain. We despse the rum
seller who pours out his poison for the drunk
ard, but yet he plies his trade op snly and does
not pretend to deny that his wares are intoxi
eating, and we admit that his frankness lifts
him one degree above total depravity. No such
saving element Can be found in the case of the
fends whose atrocities have just been brought
to light. But to details.
At the August meeting ofthe Cumberland
County Medical Society Portland member re-
ported that he had, short time before, been
applied TO by an opium eater who asked his
advice about a preparation advertised as sure
cure for the opium habit. Naturally being
IF oh koIo h @o+
manufacturer, Mrs. j. A, Drollinger of La
Porte, Indiana. for a sample bottle. This was
furnished. but the proprietress declined to give
any information as to its composition, saying,
however, that it sis harmless when taken as
directed" and "does not contain opium in any
FORM" Failing to be satisfied with this assur-
ance, the doctor applied certain chemical and
physiological tests and got unmstak able evil
depce of the presence Of morphine. The So
cety at once appointed committee to further
investigate the matter, and voted 10 bear the
expense of whatever analyses might be peces-
sary.
At the regular meeting 10 September the
committee presented their report, which by
vote of the Society was published in the cur
rent number of the Boston Medical and Surgi-
cal journal, from which we gather the f5llow-
ing facts: The sample bottle of the so-called
"opium antidote" was analyzed quantitively by
two prominent New York chemists, who found
the specimen to consist of glycerine colored
with aniline red, and containing in solution
crystalized sulphate of morphine 1888 per cent.
by weight-about seven grains to the ounce.
While this investigation was progressing, the
ttoaf roll rod i
dote," prepared by "Dr. S. B. Collins, the great
Narcologist of the age" likewise Of La Porte,
Indiana A specimen of this was submitted to
Dr. Henry Carmichael, Professor of Chemistry
in Bowdon College and Assayer of the state of
Maine, who determined that 80 per cent. was
sulphate Of orphine-fourteen grains to the
ounce.
After reading the results of these analyses,
the method by which the ''narcologists' sue
ceeded in deluding their dupes into the belief
that they were overcoming the opium habit, is
so evident as to scarcely need explanation. The
unfortunate opium eater is directed to take the
"antidote'' in doses that will exceed the great
est amount of morphine or its equivalent which
he had ever taken. This of course, will relieve
the craving for opium which he had vainly
been trying to appease by other means, but
will fasten on him more firmly than ever the
habit which is working his ruin, he all the
time believing that he is rapidly becoming dis
enthralled.
An ordinarily prescribed dose of these pre-
parations is a teaspoonful twice a day contain
ing in the case of the stronger, about grain
| and three-quarters of morphine; and, when il
| is considered that the medicinal dose of this &C
| tive principle of opium is only sixth or quar-
| ter of grain, some idea is obtained of the pro
| digious Mount of this drug which the unfor-
tunate dupes are taking uto their systems.
The eagerness of the patients to effect a cure is
we'll shown by the exorbitant price which they
willingly pay for these wicked nostrums. TWEEN
ty dollars is the price for bottle which CON
tains about months supply, and one gentle
man in this region has within year paid ONT
of these swindlers over two hundred aud thirty
dollars for the "antidote."
The Journal closes its editorial on the subiec
with these words:
sThe importance Of this exposure is too oh