Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-12-15
A Victim of Opium.

walk near Sixth avenue and Smlthheld
street.
"No, he is only drunk" was the
opinion of n woman with a censorious
cast of countenance, as she glanced |
contemptuously at the writhng figure
of the tall, well-dressed man about 40 |
years of age. The sufferers mouth |
twitched convulsively; his eyes, over
which the red lids dropped, were COW
cred with CLASSY film; from between
his chattering teeth bubbled n spcck
of white froth; his limbs trembled,
and his hands CROPPED aimlessly, rs If
seeking succor from some undefinable
peril. Then his weak fingers reached
his vest pocket, and from thence were
transformed to his mouth with hasty,
secretive movement. The result was
magical. Instantly the man straight
ened up, the anxious twitching of the
mouth ceased, the eyes beamed with
the fire of lusty manhood and the
whole manner of the whilom shivering
wretch was changed.
Itis nothing" he said to the police
man. "A sudden faintness that is
all. am subject to such spells.
The crowd dispersed, and the man
was lcIl dlOHc save lOl Vic ci
the writer. Rather an awkward thing
to be taken that way on the street,
was the remark. suppose it was
the old trouble-opiump"
"Yes; | am under treatment for 1t,
but occasionally it gets the better OF
; me, and am obliged to carry some
: pills in my pocket in case OF emer-
pencies | have not been SO bad be-
fore for several weeks. When opium
= once gets YOU down it holds you there.
have been studying rather hard
: lately. and that has run me down"
7 "What made you commence the use
l of opium?"
S "It happened to me as it has to
n thousands of others right in this city
y of Pittsburgh. went to my physician
t to be treated for nervous prostratlon
k the result of overwork. He com
n menced on me with bromide of potas
J. sium. Then when that lost its pow
i er he administered morphia by hypo
IT dcrmical injection. That fixed me up
IS But in allaying my nervousness l
n implanted in my being craving fol
d the drug that would not be satisfied
1t The hypodermic operation would have
q been too troublesome for me, so
t, bought opium in the form of tincture
r, AS YOU well know, it is necessary t.
II increase the size of the dose slowl
at but steadily, and in a very few week
" | was confirmed user of the drug
II Opium-eating is enormously called
rs habit. 1t is worse than that-it Is
ID disease. as the opium tiend who is giN
,d inc his experiences in this city wi
tn tell YOU.
so "Is there any particular pleasure whe
te under the influence of the drug-afte
smoking it, for instance?" asked tn
It, reporter.
ly Only such US is contained in sens
lr of relief. The stories apout opium
smokers finding themselves in par;
disc, peopled by houris of surpassln
tie lovelnesS. and where more deliciot
IN dreams than ever strike the imagin
IS, ton in waking moments are enjoyed
OF is all nonsense. Plain, work-a-ds
ly people have no such dreams. The
X, simply enjoy rest from bodily al
is mental torments engendered by Il
y very means they are employing f
le- their relief. Then, when the iniluen
90 of the opium dies away. there con
in such horrors as would seem impossib
m, to those who have never fallen victim
of to their soul-destroying vice. In the
'x, sleep they suffer from terrible nigf
lg- mares. They are constantly on t
He edge of imaginary precipices, or falli
At down dizzy heights. Now they a
| the victims of some fearful accidei
on again they are hurled on by some N
| lignant persecution. They fancy tn
ith they are drowning, that they are bel
nd, burned at the stake, inhaling the sic