The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-02

call the liberty Of the people. whilst
h Il only their license that Is pro-
posed shalt be rcstrained--thcir license 10
dcbase themselves physically, mentally
and moraily--to ruin their health. to pol
son themselves TO death. How II that an
cucroachment upon their rational liberty
How can this bin, which equally protects
all persons md classes from the deadly IN.
ilucuces OF opium-cating, be considered
"ciass legislation ~ The same writer also
says:
N,pc-tenths Of opiam-eatIng Is the result Of
inudcious and ,ndiscriminate prescribing OPIUM
bv Ignorant doctors"
Then why not prevent the reiilling OF
their prescriptions. and thus diminish Ihe
cvilf This statement Is doubtless some.
times true: but the indefinite renl'ing OF
any such prescriptions. whciher wnen
given judicious or not, is an evil tbat oIten
leads to this habit. ard should DC iorDid'
den. But this would not be elective LOT
good II druggists are still allowed 10 sen
opium 10 any person who may WISH 10 puy
without physicians prescription.
Eut II 1. said that this would be expen-
sive TO the people. Only DANGEROUS po,-
lively 10 new prescription each time,
whilst the people are still left at liberty TO
refill all other prescriptions rs heretofore,
and those prescriptions which contain so
small amount OF opium or other poisons rs
not to be dangerous, pareg0ric, &c,
may also be refillPd indefinitely, II needed
by the physician writing to that ehec.,
upon them. This, then, would only leave
IN n
scriptjon each time. And VINO shouiu
Judge when such are needed. II not the
d0ctOrY :,
II the habit of opitlm-eating be acquired
by retiling those poisonous prescriptions IL
will doubtless cost far more to buy the drug
than occasionally TO get a prescription 1or IL
when not acquired. to say nothing OF the
danger OF taking'it without the advice OF u
physician.
But the apothecaries have great sympa-
tby with the babies. So have /, who
would rather run the risk OF some delay IN
getting a prescription than to dose them
with Iaudanum. which may be on hand, ana
possibly thus kill them. Even Mrs. Wins
lows Soothing Syrup, less poisonous than
laudanum, sometimes kills them. But
paregoric, cough mixtures. and others, not
containing dangerous amount OF poison,
may be kept on hand. one prescription an
swering an indefinite length Of time.
As a whore, then. the expenses OF the
people would be but little. ii at all, In
creased. and would. as said, be much d.
minisbed II oplum-eating be prevented by
it, whilst there would be much less danger
of being poisoned, and all the horrible Ills
resulting from oplum-eating would be
avoided.
But il il said that opiun-eating cannot
he suppressed by law-that the poison Will
be gotten from other States IL such law be
adopted. This might be so to some extent
for time as regards those confirmed cases
who are determined not to reform OF 10
stop its use if they cannot get it by phy,
sician's prescription. But many thus VIII
be placed under the direction OF physl-
clans who may thus daily diminish The
amount given until cure may be Effected.
These would still get their opium from The
druggists. .,
But the greatest benefit to he derived
from such bill would be to prevent others
becoming opium-eaters in the future. The
impossiblity OF getting opium without a
physicians prescription would prevent the
habit and the desire, and OF course they
would not send then to other States for IL.
But il is said that alcohol will be substituted
for opium. If the poison is diminished
gradually, this desire will gradually SUBJ
side, and the need of other stimulants will
not be felt. Even il this should to some eX-
tent prevail with confirmed opium-eaters,
il should not prevent the effort being made
TO preserve those who have not yet gotten
the habit from its great ills, and
future generations from its deleterious
and demoralizing effects. II, then. the pro-
fits OF druggists are at all lessened, it will
be by preventing the aforesaid evils, and
the CONSCIENTIOUS druggist has too much re-
gard for the public good not to cooperate
with physicians in preventing the evils OF
opium-eating, for which in many cases they
are not responsible. Doubtless they often
cannot resist the urgent appeals for opium
OF those unfortunate victims. IT'S well
then for the law to come to their relief in
this respect, as well as to the vast body OF
people now free from it, who may in the
future become its victims II narcotic poi
sons continue so easily accessible. The
same may be applied TO other marco
tic poisons that has been said OF opium
and its products. Mr.. Gates supposes
ga baby may need paregoric when the
snow falls and wind howlS," so that the
doctor cannot go. This is provided for
in the bill. The doctor may rs well fail to
60 in other diseases or when the baby has
taken too much laudanum from the facility
of getting this poison, in which latter
event it would probably die, without re-
gard to the weather. Hoping that others
of the committee may give TO the public
more satisfactory evidence, statistical and
otherwise, i'll support Of the bill to prevent
opum-eating. and that they may suggest
amendments to the same that may promote
the interests of all the people of all classes
and parties by freeing them from the dan
gcrous habit Of opium-eating, l remain,
Very respectfully,
w. G. ROGERS. VI. ID.
Charlottesville, Va, January 80, 1884.