The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-10-29
The Morphine Habit.
Experience of Victim of the Needle
NOsed Syringe.

NOSeO SyIAnSes
From the indianapolis News.
"How did l ever cure myself OF the
opium habit 2" said man a little
more than 80 years OF age to Neacs
reporter one morning. 'First, I'll
tell you how 1 got in the way of us.
ing the drug. 1 didn't use opium
myself, mind you, but morphine, the
active principle of opium. l took it
hyperdermically, under the skin that
is, the morphine in solution was in
jected into my arm. You never have
had inflammatory rheumatism, per-
haps {? Well, have, and when a
man has that he'll jump at anything
for relief. Five years ago l began
the use of morphine by simultaneous
injection. / never used the little
needle-nosed syringe myself, but the
soothing fluid was always injected by
my physician. At first it was given
me two or. three times week under
the skin of my arm, but it was no
great while until the syringe came to
be used that often each day, and l be-
came slave to the drug. l was
gloomy, respondent, worthless, ex-
cept when under the influence Of the
opiate, and when charged with it was
quite as worthless, as the rosy visions
which follow its use were accompa-
MED by langor and listlessness that
made me utterly adverse to all ex-
ertion. Ny right arm (for that mat
ter my left also) has been so closely
.puneturey with holes from the syringe
1e levi + ii ny ~ arm swere s 2Titifoat
touching two or three sore places,
for the morphine infamed the flesh
wherever incision was made.
women who use morphine hyper
dermically have the fluid injected un-
der the knee-cap. This is tor the
reason that they do not like to dis
figure their arms. Two months ago
/ determined to go to the Hot
Springs in Arkansas, to see if could
boil the morphine out Of my system.
and undertake some treatment that
would cure me of the habit. was a
slave to morphine. 1t had completely
enervated me and ruined me for
everything. Cured of rheumatism, l
had acquired in its stead the opium
disease, opiophagy, which was inf
nitely worse. When left this city to
go to the Hot Springs my physician
advised me to take solution of NOR
phine along with ME and hyperder.
mic syringe, | did so, but resolved
not to use it until the last extremity.
Do you know that the craving for
liquor is not to be compared with the
insatiate desire that morphine user
has for his nepenthe? On the cars, On
my way to the springs, / suffered ter
rlbly and resolved not to use the OPP
late, but as / neared my destination
my suffering increased. People on
the cars who saw my writings (tor
my limbs became contorted and my
teeth grated together) thought me
mad. Finally l could hold out no
longer. With great difficulty l barred
my arm and with unsteady hand
jabbed the syringe into it, 1t struck
a vein or an artery, don't know
which. The blood spurted across
the Car, three or four women tainted
and several men rushed forward,
thinking it suicide. You can have
no idea OF the shock that went
through me as the fluid entered the
vein. Flash after flash of soaring,
binding light shot across my eyes,
and from my heels to the top of my
spinal column went an electric.like
current that seemed 70 burn as it ran.
In five minutes felt myself again,
that is, my old morphine self; but
once more resolved to rid myself OF
the bondage, even if my life went out
in the effort. When / got to the
springs l put my hyperdermic solu.
tion and the instrument aside and
began taking the baths. l don't