Connecticut western news., 1884-11-12
THE TYRANT MORPHINE. HOW THE QUEEN OF CEREBRAL sTIM- CLANTs ENsLAVES ITS VICTIMS. The Work of the Deadly Hypodermic syrinRes-Arms Covered With wonnds- Drinking Liniment.
From the New York Telegram l

NOtWltnStanulng all that mas been Sald and written about opium and the evils resulting from its indiscriminate use, the habit still prevails, especially among women, to the extent that may be said to threaten the very foundations of our social system. Begun in many instances by the family physician who administers hypodermic injection of morphine lone of the most insidious forms of opinm) to allay some acute or chronic pain, the patient is captivated by its medicinal effects. The feeling of exhilaration and freedom from suffering that follows its introduction into the system is so great that the dose will be repeated again and again. Soon only very slight pretext is needed, until at last the habit is formed and the victim of the syringe will resort to any means to procure what now becomes necessary to her very ex- istence. Should the physician discover the danger and decline to indulge the fancy of the victim, she will procure a hypodermic syringe and administer the doses herself. "1 have known, said a Brooklyn physician, 'ta lady whose whole side was & mass of sores from hypodermic injections of morphine. " Dr. Skene, of Brooklyn, in speaking of morphine, said:-"Its effect is the same whatever the way it is administered. Hypodermic injections, however, are more prompt in action; hence more ex- hilarating and fascinating to the patient. In acute and chronic diseases there are opium eaters who are so in a sort of legitimate way. but that physicians should be exceedingly careful in the use of the drug is a point that is urged in all lectures touching on opium in its various phases. Morphine is the queen of cere- bral stimulants when given in the proper quantities. It differs in one important respect from alcohol-the more you take the more your system can endure. 4 man can get drunk on the same quan- tity of liquor without increasing it, but with opium he would require more each time. It Is this pecularity which makes 1t so dangerous. Half a grain has proved fatal, yet some opium eaters have gone as high as twenty to thirty grains day. Morphine should never be used hypo- dermically except in cases where the pain is so severe that it is necessary to give the patient immediate relief, or where the stomach refuses to retain anything. If in fatal and painful dis ease where the patient takes opium of necessity, but prefers it hypodermically, the doctor indulges the fancy it is all right. But where recovery is possible a hypodermic injection should never be used. One important point in the nor phine habit is that the victim will go to any extreme to procure the drug and that they lose all moral sense of right or wrong when it touches that subject"
 ''This fact is we'll illustrated in the following case" said another physician. "A lady in a distant city, connected with one of the oldest and best families in this country, was suffering from a disease which her physician could not, or at least did not, cure, but gave her morphine to keep her comfortable. The habit grew until she took eight to ten grains day. Her friends finally sent her to me, and, after relieving her trouble, I began the process of curing the opium habit. At last she became, as We both thought, entirely cured; but soon a slight craving for it reappeared and grew until, unknown to me, she sue ceeded in getting a supply, and was soon about as bad as ever. This supply was cut of, the desire was successfully combated, and a year passed without her touching it or experiencing any de- sire for 1t One day she called with a little bronchitis. I gave her a prescrip- tion in which was a little paregoric. This she called for again and again, talk ing larger doses each time, until she was on the verge of re-establishing the old habit. I discovered this, forbade the use of the medicine, and again she recovered. A year or two afterward. when I had almost forgotten her, she came to me with a sprained joint l gave her liniment containing a small quantity of opium. When she discov- cred this she immediately began taking the hniment internally, and again the thirst for the drug was awakened. This was detected, and when upbraided her for deceiving me she said that was as much in the wrong as she was for giving her such liniment. On all other points she was honest and truthful, but in this particular respect she would do any thing to get the drug she loved so much"
 Morphine, said Dr. Francis Quinlan. of this city, 'tis an alkaloid of opium and the one most extensively used. The preparation used is MageDdie solution containing sixteen grains to an ounce of water. The dose is about seven drops and the effects last from two to three hours. Administered hypodermically. its effects are felt at once and is conse- quently more sought after by opium users. Its effect is terrible. The vic tims lose all sense of right or wrong, and will steal to procure it One of my patients, an English lady, the wife of A prominent engineer, living in an up- town flat, had a syringe of her own. She broke the needle, and 1 was called in to give her a hypodermic injection. I found her dull, torpid and nerveless and prepared my syringe, when she said, Excuse me doctor, but will take it myself Thinking it a matter of deli cacy I acquiesced, and she retired. She returned in few minutes as active as possible, her eyes bright, and her man. ner as animated as ever. She was so sorry she had broken my needle. She had stolen it, and pushed her own broken