Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-11-24


the opium habit il spreading despite
| the strictest laws and ordinances. The
habit was first begun by sporting men,
and gradually spread among all classes.
The first white man to smoke opium, it
is said, was a sporting man in Califor-
mia. AS opium smoking takes great
deal Of time, those having much leisure
ON their hands are most prone to in
dulge in it. There are few society
women who smoke in the better class
Of opium dens."
Whereabouts are the opium dens in
this eitya"
"In Mott, Pell, Park and Chrystie
treets, several in Fourth and Second
avenues, and one on Twenty Third
street. The one in Twenty Third street
is kept by white woman, and is only
frequented by white smokers. China
men manage the others. It is curious
fact that smokers prefer reveling in the
low Joints, as opium dens are called,
to smoking in their private apartments
This is partly because the pipes in the
dens are SO thoroughly impregnated
with opium by their constant use that
they seem to have more decided effect
than less frequently used pipes; and
partly for the sake Of the companions
sure to be found there"
"Does opium-smoking always produce
stupefaction ~
ssNo, that is an entirely erroneous
idea. So far from producing stupefac-
tion it does not even induce sleep. Mod
crate indulgence produces . feeling
of perfect contentment and hap
piness and Of complacency with the
world and all its surroundings. Life
seems to be replete with the brightest
prospects, and the most cherished
hopes seem on the eve of being realized.
Everything making life disagreeable
fades into obscurity. Upon persons
living in cold and temperate climates
the drug does net have the effect which
it has upon Orientals. The mode Of
life, the indolent habits, the religious
associations and the fertile imagination
Of the latter races are all likely to pro-
duce, under the influence Of the drug,
the most fanciful and grotesque dreams
These are due to their environments
and not to the specific action of the
opium inhaled. That it does not pro-
duce such an effect upon our plain,
methodical, unimaginatiye people is
not astonishing"
'sWhat effect does continued indul-
gence in this vice produce upon the
mind and body OF the smoker?"
after time the pleasurable sensa-
tions entirely disappear, and he only
smokes in order to stife the terrible
sufferings that abandonment of the
practice entails He no longer smokes
for the sake of the pleasure 1t brings.
but is driven to the practice he abhors
to avoid the pains he cannot endure.
The effects upon the body and mind
are: Lassitude Of the will-power, inde-
cision, loss OF memory, soreness Of the
eyes, emaciation, obstinate constipation,
dyspepsia, Inflammation Of the throat
and bowels, and eventually death"
slIs opium-smoking. in your opinion,
as disastrous in It's results as drinking ?"
s'There is no comparison between
opium smoking and chronic alcoholism,
the latter doing far more injury to the
individual and the community. An
opium-smoker does not commit murder
or any brutality and will not go reeling
through the streets to end his debauch
in police cell. Less degrading as it
may appear than the alcoholic vice,
still the opium.smoker has not the
least excuse for indulging in this vice
other than the qualification Of a morbid
desire for pleasurable sensation. The
morphia or laudanum taker usually en-
ploys the narcotic for the purpose of
allaying pain, while the opium-smoker
does 50 merely, as I have said, 70
crafty his passions"
s'Are there any other narcotics that
are habitually usedf"
Eyes there is choral hydrate, bro
mide Of potassium, chloroform and has
hisch. When chloral was first intro
daced in this country, it was used as
sleep producer in cases Of insomnia.
1t is now hahitually taken, especially
by persons recovering from debauch.
The effects upon body and mind are far
more dangerous than any other opiate.
It causes a complete ruin Of both. It
is the most treacherous drug known. A
person may take say twenty grains for
years, without any Ill effect; then sud
denly without any warning this dose
produces death. There is a less marked
craving than with the opium smoker,
and the habit is the more easily broken,
but the tendency to relapse is much
greater. The continual use Of bromide
Of potassium produces blood poverty,
disease Of the lungs and throat, insanity
and sometimes death. Chloroform and
ether are known to be habitually taken.
A physician Of my acquaintance, after
bis days work, retires to his chamber
! inhales enough chloroform to put
hs-4 into stupor lasting several hours.
Neifaer the chloroform nor the ether
habit has yet been sufficiently investi-
gated to warrant any definite statement
as to the extent they are practiced.