The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-21
RUM and OPIUM
a Whiskey Drinker would Lie, hut an
Opium Eater would Lie all the Tine"


The eighth annual meeting Of the Ameri-
can Association for the Cure Of Incbriatcs was
called 10 order y'si rdny morning in the chapel
Dr. 4. L. Mason of BROOKLYN. n y.
Tne Secretary rad payer S 1n rhG hGspon,
Opium Inchricty." which had been prepared
by Dr. j. u. Mattcsun Of Bruukiyn.
The writer ST forth that. within the last two
or three decades, the consumption of opium
has increased far in advance If It's direct thcra-
pcutical need. The question to consider was
whether patients INDUCED in the u.s. ui opium
for the purpose of obtaining transient happ-
ness or oblivion. or whether once ordered bv
the physician and continued indefinitely. its
use caused such mental and physical changes
~ To- cnE"ndcr constant demand for IT, The
vast pr"pund"ran"r " testimony was to the
oifcc that its ilsr WAS often entered upon un-
consciously. and continued until it became "A
physical necessity. High authorities concur
That the. "ulum hain has IL inception
therefore, advisahl" not Ia recommend opium
continuously Tor the PURPOSE Of auyng pain.
especially with patients Of u nervous Temporal
m"nl. lest tn" physician might become th" in
no'cnt cause OF setting the spark To the lire
that may "ny be- 1Ningushcd with lie The
writer held thni fully 81 per cent Of the cases ot
opium in'briciy IN this country inny bc traced
10 vpntc PRESCRIPTIONS PnNsiriauS are too
ready to prcerrih" opiutos for the rrlicf of pain
or insomnia. aud Too careless about seeing that.
when th" strict thcrdpcuiiral necessity for its
use hH. hoen fulfilled Inc u-r be- discontinued
Dr Midn"y SAID that in his experience South
during the war. when opium wu~ very scarce.
Tho persons who had been ia the hubit Of using
tutc. In one case u woman who had been in the
habit Of taking n~ high u~ twenty grains of NOR
phno a day drank quart of whi-kry without
j coming lniuNicatrd. Persons could use nlro-
hul for % longer tim" than they could opium
without hr'oming dependent urun II. He be-
licN"d that lrEirl diun was necessary for the
control az the snlc ol opium and It's prcrara-
The Row John Willct believed Tint the charges
aLain-i the doctors wcrc too sw.cuing. aud that
they Wcrn o. - responsible than the druggists.
Grrni dinirultv ,Vi.i.d in rrnrlinc mo fncts
tIN ffI al ~ R Ff ltlf ~
of thr patients. NJ opium cater. in his expert
cnr". ever told N" truth in regard to the origin
ui the habit iu them. \ whiAk"y drukcr would
ll". hut un opium enter would kvrp on lying all
th time. The habit arises iusidiously AMI 10y
% t.'i 'nt MORO than In any other way. and ply
~i'ian-. IN order g. guard against the danger
should WAT 10 their patients. and substitute
other nnd Harmless ltcs Iii"ns
Dr. ltrl"cun rurrod with ihe last speaker that
physicians w'rn mot So much Huswcrnhln u-
were the druggists They nlled pres ,rlrton-
without thee order If plINslriuu. and he b.
lirvrd that under the law They were allowed tp
inirlt cuuiiniia 4, hoi.l them iudlHn.t HIM This
needed. lie dii not believe that the opium
habit or the llskoy habit Were di-eascs.
Dr. Day nt Boston had considerable expert
origin ~ the habit WIS more often accidental
than oherwis" He blamed the druggists for
IL" indi~crimnaie illling oi prescriptions. lie
also r"cumui,nN ID THAT special care should be-
given io tho control 10 the sale AMI u.s. ~
opiars. The opium habit was most fearful
The Chair cons idcrcd the subje-t most i'm
puriant ono. The importatiuns OF opium are
largely Increasing every year. and ih" "iirct Of
IT. use Oh the race - very profound aud wide
reaching. Somewhere n great responsibility
existed, and h. held the druggists mos, cul-
pablo. Many Of them were rs directly Interested
in the sale ofopium AMI morphine us the saloon
keeper was in selling liquor.
The kev. John Wllet followed with an eabo-
rate paper on the Diseased appetite Of the
drunkail. and its cure. Mr., Wnt utterly dis
owned the pdraculOus-c theory advanced by
Ia" now order Of r"ligio-iomperHnce teachers,
and claimed that the recovery of the drunkard
from his degraded condition must be- attained
10y human means. He invited the " deuded
Znaloi~.' who insist that the drunkard's hnbt
and appetite can hc cured ly miraculous inter-
position, To visit an inebriatc asylum and eA-
pertinent oh H. inmates.