The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-05
AN OPIUM EATERS REMEDY
nov 4 PHYSICIAN CURED HIMSELF
or THE DEADLT HIBIT.

Ten Years the slave OF tho Drug Imprisoned
In Room with Trusty Friend rive
DAYS ~ ARony-A Radical Cure for All.
TO THE EDIToR OF THE SrN-Str: am
a physician. residing In nm interior Western
town. During the war Of tho rebellion was
surgeon In the Fed raj army. Early in my term
of service / contracted the perncious opium
habit. The following pages will show you what
] suffered and how | was cur d. I write tins
with no ambition save to help onium's unfortu-
nate victims; and any one wishing 10 turn to
me for assistance will ind me clad to respond.
My name and address are enclosed.
I had been deeply confirmed in the habit ~
using opiates for ten years. / required daily
AVERAGE Of what is equiva ent to II gains ofthe
sulphate Of morphine. MY life was a curse 10
me and to my friends. 1 knew must quit tho
use Of the drug or die. had made repeated
efforts to break of, but never succeeded. re-
solved to make new and different effort, and
apply was rewarded with success.
Leaving my home, business. and friends I
placed myself under the personal care Of
honest. pure, and strong wicd friend, with the
request that he should Yield to no enirealies
mat might make during tue struggle, no mat
yer how pitiiul or agonizlno they might seem 10
tc. Ny room was 50 arranged that temDera-
ture could be steadily maintained which would
pest agree with my morhid sensations this
proved to be about 500 Fahrenheit. | " ) pro-
NlOcu WIN the use OF the hot bath.
quently employed It. at iOO' Fahrenheit. had a
nrm bed aud mattress, uuuu which 1 could rest
ut pleasure. had also liberty to 70 about my
room, but never to step outside until restraint
was no longer nece -sary. Opium aud all its
derivatives we're absolutely prohibited. Total
abstinence was In accordance with my own
views OF reform, as l mad thoroughly tiled the
gradual diminution cure without success.
have no confidence in the extensively advertised
" Dainlcss Otiun cures" The costly packages
Of cure" sent TO the too easily delu1ed victims
Of the fatal hanit are nothing but solutions Of
% ~ sal Ia pi l. .tt.f Al
cure IS the only true one.
THE TRIAL.
All being In readiness. entered my room with
my friend on the evening of the 6th day Of De-
cemhor last, and began the struggle. As Is usu |
WITH those who are suddenly deprived Of tho
customary drug, bllipus diarrhea and vomiting
came on at 70 rful rate on the second day.
My su1eriugs began In earnest. win not atop
60 attempt to describe those terrible torrents,
for this Is not my purpose In the present COM
munlcatloh. De quincy, win his exquisite
poetic fancy, could never describe the black
depths OF my dismal and hidcOus despair. All
tnit the most vivid Imagination OF the old
fashioned Calvintst could picture OF the ,ortnres
OF the Immortal imnrd were more than real
lzed. But these rtures were Of short dura-
ton. As n medical man, knew the ABUNDANT
flow OF tile was sef-limit,rs. anG reallz Is over
and over again that the vomiting relieved the
extreme agony Thus did this ~ mptum-gen-
orally considered so dstressing-come to be en-
cnurased and promoted as a most grateful
/ believe could have remained immersed In
the hot bath indefinitely. Ny reason and feel
Ing both led me TO employ the hot bath, and
actual experience demonstrated its great useful
ness. My fellow sufferers from the opium habit
VIII tttest To the truth cf my assertion that the
ten thousand icpeHted chis following prolonged
total abstinence from the drug are. above all
comparison, the most cruel and double refined
cold sens tons that any poor wretch ever en-
couutered. These symptoms are positive and
real. for when opium Is Withdrawn the blood
recedes from the capillafies or surface, and tho
patient Is actually nj painfully cold. For this
the high temperature Of the room and the hot
bath are the true therapeutica means Of relief.
The artificial heat brings the blood back TO tho
surface. he effort of vomiting, l may say,
relieves In the same way.
Digestion being for the time suspended, food
Of all kinds was rejected In nv case for the
nfst three DAYS, but 1 drank freely Of barley
water, that the stomach might have something
to react upon in vomiting, aud for the thirst.
NO EFFICIENT SUBSTITUTE
No substitute for opium was prescribed or
thought Of during the entire struggle. And
here will venture my opinion, rs medical
man, that no efficient substitute exists. Nothing
short Of suspension Of Consciousness viii rem
der the true opium cure painless In my own
ise. no medicines were prescribed. On the
fourth day Of the trial, found / could better
endure my surernes. and l began to take a
little fluid nourishment 1t Is needless to say
mat after the ntst night all my good resolutions
hut my piteous appeals for morphine were
nrmly but kindly refused from first to last. Tho
NTH day brought me ne irer to health al a free
dom, ana was comparatively tranquil. After tho
NTH day experienced no more OF the extreme-
~ agouizing Symphonic, but had a very slow,
ton slowly improved, my will force grad ually
".
and was once more free man.
Now, TO conclude
!; The 'xtreme pains OF tits radical cure las.
only FIVE days.
.. Opium and Its derivatives must be abso-
lutely renowned forever.
9. The hot bath aud vomiting. very frequently
repeated, are the means Of reliei during Tho
moments OF greatest agony.
4. rue patient must be restrained from the
nrst, ana TINS Is best done bN tue kindly services
OF pure, inteliieent, ana strong wilied man.
B.. No substitute for opium is admissible in
deed, none has vet been discovered. Medic ton
by the stomach Is huTtful, anu should he pro-
Ltblted.
g. Food and sleep will not he required In the
early part OF the trial tue patient VIII resort to
these resturers as soon as he wants them.
7. The abundant hDw OF bile Is sanitary, and
should he promoted.
:. he costly nostrums Of quack advertisers
are Ill guised solutions Of the salts OF morphia.
y. Any man OF woman having the haoit never
50 badly, who July undeIs stands nd apt rebates
the true radical care. and VINO Is worth saving,
may he saved by this method
sHATTERING THE MIND.
Loss or serious impairment Of the will powe,
be regarded AS a species of insanity. Tne con-
hrmed opium habit Involves. more or less, tho
decline Of this power. Moreover, other facul-
ties Of the brain suffer greatly. Compared with
this condition, chronic ineDfiation ia trifiinR.
The confirmed opium eater should he subjected
10 restraint aud to medical treatment as un-
QUESTIONABLE as the raying maniac. The numer-
GUS victims Of the habit will know | tell the
truth when l say that there Is not IA nerve,
blood vessel, muscle. tissue, fibre, or atom in
tue blasting influence Of OPIUM. MEDICUs.
FEB. -, 1876.
.TUSTTnE nTNEE