The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-02
THE DRUG AND IT'S VICTIMS.
A Veteran Druggists RecOllectiOns Of
Some 0pium-Eating Customers.
How the Habit Becomes Fixed-A Remark
able Case-Ruses of Penniless Vie
tins to Obtain Opium.

Il don't think the opium habit is increasing in
Indianapolis said down town druggist to the
reporter 1--WE are not selling as much opium or
morphine as we formerly sold; and as to lauda-
num-which is, however, not favorite form of
the narcotic-we have but one laudanum- drink
ing customer. By the opium habit is meant all
who use opium habitually, whether in the crude
drug-'gum opium as it is popularity called-or
in the shape of sulphate of morphia (morphine)
other of its alkaloids whether by internal adj
ministraton or by means of hypoder1nfc mice,
ton. I think the greater part of the traffic is
done by outside drug stores Most of those who
have the opium habit deceive themselves with the
belief that few or none know of their terrible
infr1nity. Many of them buy in parts of the city
remote from where they live, in order to conceal
their identity, and it is well-known fact that
druggists viii frequently sell opium OF morphine
to customer for months and years at time,
without knowing his or her name. Some other
druggist will have this customers trade for other
articles in the drug line, and never be asked to
sell him opium.
1.-The favorite form is morphine in which shape
the narcotic dose is small, and there
is less danger of the habit be-
ing detected; besides which, morphine
is always of reliable quality and of unvarying
strength, while opium is variable, A majority
of the victims are women, some of them of the
first Responsibility, while others are courtezans
of the lowest kind The last named are some
times driven to its use by disease, but it is Of
| tener used by them as nepenthe in which they
find oblivion from their wretched surroundings.
Once having acquired the opium habit, the vic
tim seldom escapes from it. The strongest
thirst for spirituous drink is not to be compared
with the maddening appetite for this dreadful
drug. They must have it, and they viii do any
thing to obtain it. Its continued under
mines the severest responsibility. Inever knew
but one person who through many years of con
tinuous use of morphine retained herlady like de
pertinent, her honesty and candor think she
was the only victim of the opium habit l ever
met who would not occasionally deliberately lie.
She would sometimes exaggerate or evade the
truth, but that was all, and that was due more
to the drug than to her pure and beautiful ma
ture. She had used morphine for more than
forty years. and for several years as much
as three drains a week During the war, when
| morphine sold at from So to 81. 80 DRAM this
was great drain her slender income, but
morphine she must have. bread and meat being
matters of much less than secondary conse-
quence.
''The largest amount of morphine 1 ever saw
any one take at dose was taken by lawyer Of
this city, now dead He was brilliant young
man, and but for two unfortunate appetites, one
for strong drink and the other for morphine
| though the former need hardly be taken into ac-
count in comparison with the latter-would have
attained and maintained high place at the In
dianapolis bar He would often indulge in de
bauch that would bring him to the verge of de-
irium tremens, and it was then he would in
crease his dose Of morphine to enormous proper
tons and between the two poisons he would, like
a man ON clutches, be enabled to
get through, though exceedingly shaky. 1t was
on one of these occasions that l saw him pour
out half q drachm Of morphine into the palm of
his hand and swallow it at one dose.
A NOTABLE INSTANCE.