The Van Buren press., 1879-01-14
A DANGEROUS VICE.
The Opium Hahit-MOrplIIa Syringcs
-.COmment OH their use by Prom
inent Physicians.
[ From the New York Tribune

A dangerous method of using NOR
phine to produce pleasurable sensations
is believed, by physicians. to be a grow
ing vice. Morphine is one Of the prin,
cipal constituents of opium, and has the
effect Of relieving pain and preventing
sleepessness. 1t has been found, how.
ever, that frequent interval doses of the
drug had an injurious effect on the intes.
tine canal, and gradually undermined the
system. OF late years physicians have
nearly abandoned the practice of admin
isterng morphine, by internal dosos and
have adopted, instead, the use of nee
dle-pointcd syringe, by which small do.
scs of the drug are injected under the
skin. The effect of the drug thus ad.
ministered is much quicker and much
smaller doses are required. The use
OF the morphia syringe was confined to
medical experts for time, as it was be.
lieved to be attended with unusual dan
gers in unskilful hands. 1t has become
Il practice with some physicians. howev-
cr, to teach their patients how to admin.
lister morpha injections, aud it is not
surprising that many persons who have
experienced the delightful effects of the
drug in time of sickness, should use the
instrument to banlsh imaginary suffer
inss. Several prominent physicians of
this city were visited by a Tribune repor
ter recently, and their statements show.
ed that the vicious habit is spreading to
an alarming extent.
Health, Commissioner Janeway said
that in the course Of his medical prac.
tice had learned that the habit was be.
coming extensive. The fondncss for
morphine" he said, is usually gained
in sickness 1t is customary in the
treatment of some painful disease to give
subcutaneous injections of morphine,
and when patient suffers from chronic
troubles the physician finds it occasion
ally finds it necessary to continue the
use Of the drug until health has been re
stored. In such cases some ply sicians
will not take the trouble to administer
the morphine, but will lend an instru-
mcnt to the patient and instruct him how
to use it Having learned the art of re.
lieving his own pai', the patient will
drift too often into the habitual use Of
the drug The habit, when once fixed
upon man, is more difficult to over.
come than habits of drinking strong IL
quors. Among the many persons who
are sent every year to the inebriate asy-
lums to be cured of the morphia crave,
very few, if any, ever get lasting self.
control.
A strong opposition to the frequent
use of the morphia syringe was express
ed by DR.. Jared Linsly. "It is an in-
strument of death in the hands of any
person, except a cautious and skillful
physician. II the use Of the instrument
is ever justified, it is in cases where i'm.
mediate relief must be given to excruci.
ating pain. Whenever morphine can be
given in internal doses, believe it
should be administered in that way, A
dose of the drug injected under the skin,
is taken up by the blood, carried to the
heart, and disseminated through the sys-
ten with great rapidity. The effect ON
the vital organs is all the more hurttul
because of its suddenness, and because
the impurities of the drug are conveyed
directly into the blood II is not
prising that many deaths have resulted
directly from the mode Of administering
anesthctics. 1t is crime for a physic
| ian tp teach the use of such an instru.
Inent to his patients The practice is
sendin. hundreds of persons to the inc
briatc asylums. and filling thousands of
homes with misery
DR.. Geo. A. Peters said: While the
morphia syringe has proved a means Of
saving life, in many cases, and is an in
strument which few physicians would be
willing to dispense with in practice, am
sometimes inclined to believe that it ru-
ms more than it saves. If it were un.
known to the medical profession, some
other means of relieving pain might have
been discovered which would be less
deadly in habitual use The practice of
using morphine injections always results
in wreck of health in the end. The
craving produced by such habit is far
stronger than drunkard's desire for Ii.
quor. lnebriate asylums cannot cure a
man who has accustomed himself to the
vice. Continued torture seems to pur.
sue him when he attempts to reform.
Naturally the persons who practice this
vice are wealthy or fastidous. Many
women are counted among the victims of
morphine, but some are kept from using
the INSTRUMENT because of the slight pain
which is felt when the needle penetrates
the flesh. The practice is the more Sc
ductve, because it may be kept secret.
Intoxicating liquors and tobacco betray
their use, but the effect of moderate
subcutaneous dose of morphine eludes
the notice of the closest observer. Like
other secret vices, the use Of morphine
gains stronger hold over the will be.
cause of the deceit which it ensenders
A victim to the morphia crave might he
trusted in everything else, but he will
descend to the lowest deceit to obtain
and use his favorite drug. He even
cheats himself in the measure Of the do
ses which he receives into his system,
and thus he hastens his own death" Dir.
Peters mentioned some extreme cases in
which the use Of the morpha syringe
had resulted in slow suicide, He had
seen persons whose bodies were covered
with ulcers from the punctures Of the in
strument, and whose constit itutions were
completely broken down. Men who had
indulged the vice until they were incura-
hle had presented themselves at inebri.
ate institutions and begged to be rcliev.