Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-11-24
THE USE OF NARCOTICS.
The Habit Rapidly Increasing -InyestiGn-
tinns By New York PhysicIan-Stat
tics Obfained from Druggists Opium
Dens I'm New Yorl--How the Drugs are


Dens in New York--How the Drugs ar
Used.
1t is probably but little known out
side of medical circles that the habit o
eating opium is rapidly increasing
among respectable and educated people
Dr.. II. Fl. Kane, q physician ofthis city
for some time has been investigating
the extent of the opium habit in thiI
country, and especially in New Yorl
city, and he has gathered many facts
which furnish startling proof of The
headway this vice is making. DR.. Kane
in reply to some questions from .
Tribune reporter recently. said:
I" A higher degree of civilization,
bringing with it increased mental
Development among all classes, in
creased cares, duties and shocks, seems
to have caused the habitual use Of mar
cotics, once q comparatively rare vice
among Christian nations, to become
alarmingly common. Increase in men
tai strain, hot-house development Of
the passions, lessened physical labor
and increased mental work, have been
gradually giving us bodies in which the
nervous element largely predominates.
Persons who may be classed under the
head nervous temperaments are daily
on the increase. Finding pain, ner-
vousness and hysteria constantly claim
ing his attention, and that nothing re-
lieves him SO well as opium or morphine,
the physician resorts to their use more
and more freely, expecting as soon as
the more distressing symptoms pass
away, to pursue another plan Of treat
ment. The patient, however, having
once felt relief, insists upon the further
use Of the drug, sometimes feigns illness
in order to procure it. finally obtains
some by purchase, and in guilty secrecy
drifts rapidly into the habit. Moreover,
nervous affections are on the increase /;
pain without any apparent cause, ner-
vousness from the most trivial things.
Neuralgia is more common. Insanity
and suicide are daily more frequent"
"How did you proceed in order to
ascertain the extent Of the opium habit
in this city ?" asked the reporter.
"I sent circular to every one Of the
600 drug stores in this city, asking how
many habitual users of the drug each
had, I received answers from 1876
druggists from all parts of the city. A
large number had three or four GUS
toners, and some as high as sixteen or
eighteen habitual users Of some opium
preparation. Altogether they gave 439
users of the drug. AS there are about
900 drug stores in this city, there would
be. calculating on this basis, about
1900 habitual users Of opium in this
city, exclusive of the smokers"
"Do you think that this indicates
that the number of opium takers is on
the increase?'
at most assured1y does. The most
dangerous preparation, morphia, has.
on account Of its rapid and decided ac-
tion, the most popularity"
Have you been investigating at all
the extent of opium smoking among
white people n
Yes, and l have come to the con-
clusion that there are between four and
FIVE thousand white opium smokers IN
the United States, and three or four
hundred in this CITY,"
"Is this habit confined to the larger
cities Of the East and to the Pacific
Coast 2
"No, 1t is spreading all over the
United States. Actors and travelling
salesmen who have been in all towns of
any Importance in the North, East, South
and West, tell me that they never have
been in any town yet where an opium
den could not be found, and where
white smokers were not present There
are about ten men to one woman
smoker"
"Do you think that the spread Of
the opium smoking habit is due to an
increased Chinese population ?"
mo. According to the census of
1876 there were about III, 1881 China
men IN the United States, and accord
ing to the census Of 1880 we have only
Chinese population Of 1O5, ,44O. With
q falling off of Chinese population in
these four years there was an increase
Of I, 1855 pounds of smoking opium. As
an ordinary smoker will consume about
100 grains Of opium daily, and as there
are at least 1000 American smokers in
the United States, 100000 grains are
used daily, equal to 146,OOO, 900 grains,
about $4,000 pounds, in year. AS
smoking opium retails for about $50 d
pound, $57O, 900 are annually spent for
the qualification Of this vice.
Some smokers have been known to
consume as much as LAO grains, or
three onnces, in one day. Three to SIX
grains make q pipeful There are two
kinds Of opium, No. !, Or "a Tun,
smoked BY the better class, and No. 2,
consisting Of a mixture OF the ashes OF
No. and crude opium boiled together
and filtered. The latter is very strong
aud rank, and is only smoked BY the
poorer class. In the opium dens No.
retails for 25 cents for sixty grains.
The Chinese measure ii by fin, and sell
ten fun for % cents. An ordinary
smoker will smoke about three drachms
Of smoking opium in day, which will
cost from so to 70 cents. Fiends, per