The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-03-07
lFrom the Cincinnati Enquirer, of Feb a5th ]
THE TERRIBLE OPIUM HABIT.

A SHOCKING STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE
SHENANDOAH VALLEY - FRIGHTFUL
PREVALENCE AND ALARMING INCREASE
OF INDULGENCE IN THE DEADLY DRUG.
Special Correspondence of the Enquirer.
STAUNToN, VA, Feb. 81, 1878.
The opium eating in this vicinity still goes
on; and as some cities and some sections
have reputation for The number OF drunk
ards they generate, so Stanton has the
name of being the great opium city OF this
part of the country. And it is deplorable to
observe how the evil has increased. At a
Conference Of druggists held day before
yesterday it was reported that the increase
in 1877 over 1876 was 95 per cent; that
1876 over the preceding year was GA per
cent, and that 1875 over the preceding year
was so per cent.
THE EVIL is LIKE AN EPIDEMIC.
1t is in the atmosphere. 1t seizes per-
son never to let loose. A man sees another
using the terrible drug, and before he is
aware of it he is eating opium himself.
When 1 telegraphed three weeks ago about
the sensation that was created here by GER
tain developments, not half had been told.
1t is true that there have been no deaths
equal to that of the lady who dropped dead
from disappointment because she could not
get opium but the young man who swal-
lowed fifteen grains Of morphine at q drug
store counter, three or four weeks ago, and
lived, took twenty grains at one pop since,
and died. He was Il young Jew, and had
only been victim to the vice few years.
As intimated before, the Asylums here
the Lunatic, Inebriate and Cthers-consume
a great deal of morphine in legitimate
way, but what they use is only a drop in the
bucket.
NEARLY A HUNDRED POUNDS OF OPIUM
A WEEK.
That is what the druggists reported, which
is pretty heavy for city of eight or ten
thousand. A large quantity of the truck
sold in Staunton is bought by country peo-
pie, for the craving for it all down the Val
ley is as strong if not stronger than it is in
the city. Your correspondent has just Wis
tied all of the apothecaries here, and the
tales that they tell are fearful. ''See that
handsomely dressed English lady passing
on the other side Of the street?' Eyes. ?"
sWcll, she is enc of our best customers.
She commenced to take morphine about two
years ago. She used to send servant for
quarter-grain doses; now she uses four
customers as she is ?" asked the writer.
son, yes. Let me see Mr.. Allen counting
on his fingersl-we have
FIFTEEN REGULAR LADY CUSTOMERS,
That l think of at this moment, who take
over two grains of morphine at a time, and
twelve men who take between two and SIX
grain doses at a time. "You think the
evil here is on the increase?'' s'My good
ness Yes.'' Your correspondent found Mr..
Tyree waiting on bevy of dashing girls.
There were four of them, and they seemed
to be sssweet sixteens." When they left the
store Mr.. Tyree said: 'There they go; they
are some Of your opium eaters" "What
Those pretty things?" "Why, yes; they
commenced to use the dangerous stuff only
few months ago; now they each spend sc
week for it. 1t is sad,'' he continued
'but there is no stopping them after they
once begin it.'' At Mr.. John Benner's
was informed that two of the eight leading
ministers Of the city used opium that one
of them took it in the shape OF laudanum.
But
THE MOST STARTLING STATEMENT
Made by any of the apothecaries was by
one The requested me not to mention his
name) who looked at his prescription list OF
last year, and found that he had sold Is, 500
doses of morphine during the year.
Mr.. Forman said to the writer: 'You
have no idea what means many ladies use
to get opium without their families know
ing it." 'Are most OF your opium custom
ers ladies?" I asked. eyes; have about
forty regular lady customers, and about
twenty or twenty-five male customers. l
have seen married women come to the door
and send servant in with the money ;
they wouldn't come in themselves for fear
they would meet some one who would tell.
Sometimes they buy enough at once to last
for two or three months. [ found one lady
buying so much opium that [ thought il
would be an act of charity to tell her hus-
band. did tell him, and he said. Il know
she uses it, but let her have all she wants !;
1 can't stop herr Mr.. Forman continued :
81 collected a bill of $125 of a prominent
citizen few days ago. 1t was
FOR OPIUM SOLD TO HIS WIFE,
Who died month or two ago. 1 was afraid
he would refuse to pay it, but he didn't say
a word. He settled without grunlbling. y
The prescription clerk at Wayt & Bros said
that one of their customers was a young
lawyer who drank a quart of laudanum a
week. Another was a book-keeper who
drank gallon of laudanum in three weeks.
called upon DR.. B. P. Reese at his office.
He is man of forty-five, and is one OF our
leading physicians. He told me that he had
been trying to get some legislation passed
on opium for over year. The member
from this district had promised to prepare
d DllI 1OI Vic l1OuSC VI DClCsdLCo3
heavy tax on opium, but he had not yet
presented it. DR.. Reese thought the drug
gists were wrong to sell opium. He SAID
he never prescribed it except in very excep-
tionable cases. DR.. Murphy thought the
bell punch used in bar-rooms, which levies
tax OF two and one-half cents drink, had
driven many poor people to use opium.
DIR. bikes attributes the spread OF the
opium evil to the fact that all of tire pull
monte remedies contain large share OF
opium. He
CONDEMNED MRS. WINsLow'S SOOTHING
Jor children, saying that babies were apt
to grow up with the taste for opium formed
in them from the use of that cuff. DR.. Tay-
lor agreed with the druggists that the evil
was on the increase, not only in Staunton,
but all along the Valley. He thought the
preachers ought to preach against it. ''But
then,'' he observed. lone of the parsons HIM
self used opium to excess" All the junk