Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-14
THE QUININE HABIT.
What an Observant Old Doctor Has to
Say Of Its Increase and the Dangers
of its Indulgence.

of its Indulgence.
Said distinguished medical practitioner. who
has grown gray in his profession, speaking of
the report that the use of quinine as stimu-
liant is becoming very common habit among
men of business and ladies in society:
Eyes, 1t is unquestionaby true that the great
increase in the sales of qunine during the last
five years by retail druggists ia very largely re-
1eraDle TO what may be styled the Qunne habit
and 1t is fully as frequent among women in So
ciety as IL ls with men whose nerves are over
taxed by hard work. And may say to you,
though many will dispute it, t, at of the two the
quinine habit Is more rapid i'm its ravages when
once thoroughly established. more difficult to
break, and more dangerous in every respect
than the habitual use of opium or it's prepara-
lions. Few save practiCing physicians are
aware Of the tremendous potency of this drug
In Its effects upon the nervous system. As YOU
know, depending upon the quantity taken.
quin!ne possesses four very distinct proper
ties-being, in very small doses. tonic and
nervlne; IN moderate doses, directly stimulant:
in large doses sedative and soporific; and in
very large doses. Observation-Disclosures a
peculiar species of drunkenness similar i'm its
features to masked epilepsy in which, while
performing customary actions and talking with
the conference of person in full possession of
his senses, the victim is really perfectly uncon-
sciOus of what he is doing and totally irrespon-
Slble. There Is no question that the regular use
of the drug as stimulant is rapidly increasing
among the higher classes. and the fact is one of
the most lamentable that has come under nv
notice for years. The way man gets into it
In the first place is very simple. He feels lit
tie unstrung and out of tune. perhaps, and
so consults the family physician, who sur-
gests a few doses of qunine In day or two
he feels sngularly improved; his brain is clever
and bright; his physical energies seem to have
renewed their youth. Elated with the result.
whenever he feels dOwn-spirited or out of sorts,
ne resorts. OF course, to the remedy that has
once served his purpose so well; and very soon
has acquired the habit CT using the drug In reg
ular daily doses. In three months, SO insidous
are It's effects, the quinine habit is fully estab-
lished, and the probability is that the man (or
woman as the case may be) has not five wears
to live. Worse still. so peculiar are the effects
of the salt on the nervous system there is a
strong probability that the victim will die of
suicide, for it is singular fact that no toxic
in the materia medca acts so directly and
RAPIDLY to produce suicidal predisposition and
impulse. MOrphia has no such effect, deplor-
able rs its ravages are. The morphia habit
generally transforms the most truthful man
or woman into the most inveterate liar in the
course of two or three years-a romancer of
the widest type. On the other hand, while
veracity, it leads to nervous irritabillty that
Is intolerable alike to its victim and his asso-
clates, and frequently ends in the sudden
Development of suicidal mania. Again, q
patent may De reduced to the verge of the
grave by morphia, and still recover a remnant
of physical and nervous energy when the
drug has been eliminated from the system:
but when once the system gives way under
the cumulative influence of quinine the break
down is irrevocable. In the course OF an expe-
rience embracing thirty-fve cases of the quinine
habit In Its later stages, during the last two
years, l have never seen a case in which the
victim was good for anything after the habit
was broken, ana, as rule, the patient COL
lapses and dies If the withdrawal Of the stimu-
liant is persevered in. Knowing these facts. I
cannot tell you how dread to prescribe quinne
to men little tagged out with overwork. and I
think it is time that medical practitioners began
to be as cautious with it as they are with NOR
phia."