The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1884-12-13
A VICTIM OF OPIUM.
The Agony He Endured in Trying
- Break the habit.

"The man Is in = it," said q po-
liceman, on Saturday afternoon, as he
stood over a man who was lying on
! the sidewalk, near Sixth avenue and
| Snithield street.
mo, he Is only drunk" was the
| opinion of woman with censorious
cast Of countenance, as she glanced
con'enptuously at the writhing fig
ure OF the tall, well-dressed man.
about forty years Of age. The suffer-
| er's mouth twitched convulsively; i;
his eyes, over which the red lids
drOoped, were covered with q CLASSY
film; from between his ehattering
teeth bubbled a speck of white froth;
his limbs trembled, and his hands
groped aimlessly, as If seeking for
succor froul some indefinable peril.
Then his weak fingers reached his
vest pocket, and from thence were
transferred 10 his mouth with hasty,
secretive movement. The result was
magical. Instantly the man straight
ened up, the anxious twitching of his
mouth ceased, the eyes beamed with
the fire of lusty manhood, and the
whole manner of the whilom shiver-
ing wretcd was changed.
at is nOthing," he said to the po-
liceman. "a sudden faintness; that Is
all. l am subject to such SPELLS"
The crowd dispersed and the man
was left alone, save for the presence
of the writer. "Rather an awkward
thing TO be taken that way on the
street," was the remark. "I suppose
1t was the old trou uble-opium."
"Yes, | am under treatment for IL,
but occasionally it gets the better OF
me, aud am obliged to carry some
pills in my pocket In case OF emer-
gencies. have not been SO bad be-
fore for several weeks. When opium
once gets you down 1t holds you there.
have been studying rather hard
lately, and that has run me down."
:'What made you commence the use
OF opium 2,
alt happened TO me as II has 10
thousands oil others right here in this
city OF Pittshurg. | went To my phys
sician to be treated for nervous pros
tration, the result OF oyerwork. He
commenced on me with bromide of
potassium. Then when that lost its
power he administered morphia by
hypodermical injection. That liked
me up. But in allaying my nervous
ness II implanted in my being crav-
ing Tor The drug that would not be
satisfied. The hypodermic operation
would have been too trou blesome for
me, so ! bought opium in the form OF
tincture. As you well know, 1t Is ne
cessary to increase the size OF the dose
slowly but steadily, and in very few
weeks / was a confirmed user OF the
drug. Opium. eating is enormously
called a habit. IL is worse than that
1t is u disease, as the opium tiend
who is giving his experience in this
city will tell you."
"Is there any particular pleasure
when under the influence of the drug
after smoking 1t for instance - ask
ed the reporter.
"Only such as Is contained in the
sense of relief. The stories about op-
ium- smokers finding themselves In a
paradise peopled by houris OF sur
passing lovliness, and where more
delicious dreams than ever strike the
imagination in waking moments are
enjoyed, is all nonsense. Plain, work.
a-day people have no such dreams.
They simply er'oy q rest from bodily
and mental torments engendered by
the very means they are employing
for their relief. Then, when the in
huence OF the opium dies away, there
comes such horrors as would seem
imposs ibIe to those who have never
fallen victims to this soul destroying
vice. In their sleep they suffer from
terrible nightmares. They are con-
stantly on the edge ofimaginary prin-
ciples, or falling, falling from dizzy
nights. Now they are the victims OF
some fearful accident; again, they are
buried on by some malignant perse-
cution. They fancy that they are
drowning, that they are being burned
at the stake, inha ling the sickening
odor of their own burning flesh, feel
ing IL peel from their aching bones.
Then comes the awakening with
scream or start. The gradual realiza-
lion that these things are not real; the
cold sweat, the trembling ofthc limbs,
as you saw In me just now; the sense
OF utter exhaustion, from which you
sink into sleep once more, TO live
again the agonizing scenes OF q dis
eased mind"
"You say you are under treatment.
Have you any hope ofbeing cured I"