The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1879-09-14
THE MORPHINE HABIT.
Experience ofa Victim of the Needle
uosed Syringe.


How did over cure myself of the opium
habit ~ said man uttlc more than thirty years Of
age to q News reporter this morning. First, lll
tell you how got in the way Of using the drug !
don't opium myself, mind you, hut morphine, the
active principle ot opium, took II hypodcrmlcally,
under The skin that Is the morphine In solution was
injected Into my arm. Won never haNo had tnfam-
when man has that, hc'n Jump at anything for ro-
lief Five years ago began tho usc of morphinc by
subcutancois infection. used the little needle
noscd syringe myself hut the soothing fluid was always
injected by my physician At FIRST was given to me
two or three times week under tho skin of my arm,
but II was great while until the syringe came In bc
used that often otchday aud bccamca slave to the
drug I was gloomy, dcsponient, worthless, except
when under the influence of the oplatc and when
charged with II was quito rs worthless, as the rosy
visions that followed Its use were accompanied by q
langnor and stlcssncss that made mo utterly hvcrSc Ia
all oxcrtion My right arm uor that matter my lott
aiso) has been closely puncurcd With holes from the
tho syringe point tnn, You Gouin, , lny gmar'"
three places, for the morphine inaucd the nesh
wherever lncison was made.
''Womcn who use morphine hypodermicnly have
the nuId injected under the kncc-cap. This Is for
the that they do moi like TO dsfgurc thcir
arms Two months ago | determined to go to Hot
Springs, Ark, to see II couldn't boil the NOR
phine out of my system, aud undertake some treat
mcnt that would cure me of the habit. ! was
me and ruined mo for everything. Cured OF rlicu-
n,atism, I had acquitted IN Its stead tho opium
H,,s' C@Is 3 @ ,,y Which =, w Ma o n%is n synS. y
physician advised me 10 take solution of morphinc
along with me and hypoicrnc syringe. I lid so,
hut resolved not TO II until the last cNtromity.
DO You know that the craving for liquor TX not Ia
bc compared with the insailatc desire that n NOR
phinc has for tho ncpcnthcY I'm the cars on
my way to the springs. | suffered terribly, resolved
not to the opntc hut as nenrcd my destination
my suffering increased People tho ears who saw
my writhing tor my Hubs became con,ortcd and my
teeth grated togcthcrl thought me mad. Finally
could hold ont no longer. with great dnlculty
barred my arm and with unsteady hand inbbcd I'll,
syringe into II. II struck vein artery,
don't know which. The blood spurtcd across
tho ear, three four women tainted, and
several men rushed forward thinking II Suicide.
You can have Idea of the shock that went
through rs the iiuld entered the vein. Flash afci
Hash of sccrlng binding light shot my eyes,
and from my heels to the top OF my spinal column
went electric like current that seemed To burn
my old morphine SELF but oncc resolved to rid
myself Of the bondage, even " my life went ont In til,
effort. When got 10 the springs put my hypo,er.
mite solution and the Instrument aside aud began taxi
ing the baths. don't know whether they did III,
any good or not. I don't know anything that Oc
Cured during the next ten days, except that sicc,
n thousand deaths had every pain and ache tina
almanac ever told of. Morphine is drug that th
entire system grows 10 and ,ssimiatcs with. IL yoi
deprive yourself Of II after II has become necessary
| yol you suffer the tortuics of the damnctA In,
lays-to free myself from the drug. did IT, an,
thank God for IT. DO you my hair how gray II Is
Not ono man In thousand, I've been told could IL
what have done. several physicians Ia whom
have told my experience look on In wonder. The
say my nerve ~ unouuacd. They may bo right.
only know that 500 600 wouldn' hire me To undertak
| the experience of those ten days again.