Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-07-04


"Do sell opium9" remarked drug
question. ''Yes, lots of it. ] suppose |
sell as much of it rs anybody III the city.
"rhere is an old fellow calling regu-
larly for his stuff; he is lame and very
debilitated, but he uses fifteen grains
per day--morphia of course One quite
prominent business man q guess he's n
Spectator or something of that sorD
uses two and half grains per day by
podermically--ha it injected with q
syringe right under the skin. The effect
is much quicker. | believe men use it
mostly that way. They all have ex-
cuses for usingit. One old woman who
called here the other day said she want
ed to make Il salve of il, let her have
the opium, however, because could
see she was habitual user; otherwise
we don't give every one this drug that
calls for it; only when We see they are
used to it. have a business man for y
customer who uses eighteen grains per
day. There is Il Young lady on the
West side who claims to be very poor,
and We let her have the opium at cost
price, don't know how she lives, but
know she buys sometimes FIVE, sonce-
Zines ten, and sometimes fifteen grains,
and swallows il right here. and it docSn /
seem TO make any difference with her
either way. Then we have had an old
woman customer, quite 2 funny one
She must be III one Of the city hosp-
tails now, for haven't sean her for sew
erai days, She is shri, eled and wrin-
Killed., and h"~ skin is as yellow ~ gold
She uses four drachms of morphia
every two days. VOW can appreciate
this better when | tell YOU That one
grain of morphia is equivalent Ia sig
grains of Opium or 100 drops of larda-
nun. One grain of morphineis enough
to kill a man unaccustomed to its use
But those who have acquired the habit
OF opiun-eating can gel away with al
most incredible quantities OF it,"
'.liow about chloral?n was asked.
"A good deal of il used TO be taken a
few years ago. but it is mainly used by
society ladies, when they want sleep
which they can't get otherwise on &C
count of excitement. One lady Gus,
TONER Of onrs, living on Prospec; street,
nsed forty grains OF This at Il dose, but
thirty grains Is The usual allowance at
one time, 1t used to be employed 3
great deal by physicians in eases of APP
preaching or manifested tclirium ire
mems, but the medical fra .crnity nave
lost faith III it and discountenance its
use for that purpose now, instead
using bromide of potassium or bromide
and Talerian. There's one thing about
opium: it takes from two to three wears
to firmly acquire the habit. Bit the
habit once formed, it never loosens its
grip till the victim sinks into his grave.
All the pretended cures of the habit
are tricks OF quacks; the opium victim
cannot survive the loss of the only thing
which binds him to life"
"Doyou have many such cnstonersp"
MANY! WHY, it is one of our most
prosperous resources. There is gem
tlcman out on Euclid avenue that daily
consumes Twenty-Five grains. Users of
ten or fifteen grains in Il day are quite
common. You know physicians often
say that they could reveal secrets that
would break up households. We could
tell things thai would smash society in
general II is none of our business,
however, We get their money, and we
don't have to beg for it. either.