The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-03-14
HAHNvILLE, LOUISIANA SATURDAY, MARCH A. 1885.

that is urged in all lectures touching
on opium in its various phases. Nor
phine is the queen of cerebral stimu-
lants when given in the proper quanti-
ties. 1t differs in one important re-
spect from alcohol-the more you take
of it the more your system can endure
A man can get drunk on the same
quantity of liquor without increasing
it, but with opium he would require
more each time. 1t is this peculiarly
which makes it so dangerous. Half a
grain has proved fatal, yet some opium
eaters have gone as high as twenty to
thirty grains in a day. Morphine
should never be used hypodermically
! except in cases where the pain is so Sc
we're that it is necessary to give the pa
tent immediate relief, or where the
stomach refuses to retain anything. If
in fatal and painful disease, where
the patient takes opium of necessity,
but prefers it hypodermically, and the
doctor INDUCES the fancy, it is all right.
But where recovery is possible hypo-
dermic injection should never be used.
One important point in the morphine
habit is that victims will go to any
extreme to procure the drug and
they lose all moral sense of right or
wrong when it touches that subject. "
"This fact is well illustrated in the
following case, said another physician:
"a lady in a distant city, connected
with one of the oldest and best families
in this country, was suffering from a
disease which her physician could not,
or at least did not, cure, but gave her
morphine to keep her comfortable.
The habit grew until she took eight to
ten grains day. Her friends finally
sent her to me, and after relieving her
of her trouble began the process of
curing the opium habit. At last she
became, as we both thought, entirely
cured, but soon slight craving for it
reappeared and grew until unknown
to me, she succeeded in getting a sup
ply, and was soon as bad as ever. The
supply was cut off, the desire was sue
cessfully combated; and year passed
without her touching it or experiencing
any desire for it. One day she called
with little bronchitis, / gave her a
prescription in which was little pare
goric. This she called for again and
again, taking larger doses each time
until she was on the verge of re-estab-
fishing the old habit | discovered this.
forbade the use of the medicine, and
| she again recovered. A year or two
afterward, when | had almost forgot
ten her, she came to me with a sprained
joint. gave her liniment contain
ing a small quantity of opium. When
she discovered this she Immediately be-
gan taking the liniment internally, and
again the thirst for the drug was awak-
ened. This was detected, and when
upbraided her for dcceiying me she
said that was as much in the wrong
as she was for giving her such lini-
ment. On all other points she was
honest and truthful, but in this partic-
ular respect she would do anything to
get the drug she loved so much
morphine, said DR.. Francis Quin-
Ian, of this city, sis an alkaloid of
opium, and the one most extensively
used. The preparation used is Ma
jendie solution containing sixteen
grains to an ounce of water. The dose
is about seven drops, and the effects
last from two to three hours. Admin
istered hypodermically, its effects are
felt at once, and is consequently more
| souShb alteI ny opium USERS llS eHecl
is terrible. The victims lose all sense
of right or wrong, and will steal to
procure it. One of my patients, an En-
glish lady, wife of prominent engin-
eer, living in an uptown fiat, had a
syringe of her own. She broke the
needle, and | was called in to give her
a hypodermic injection. | found her
dull, torpid and nerveless, and pre-
pared my syringe, when she said: tx
euse me, doctor, but will take it my
self. Thinking it a matter of delicacy
| acquiesced, and she retired. She re-
turned in few minutes as active as
possible, her eyes bright and her man.
ner as animated as ever. She was SO
sorry she had broken my needle. She
had stolen it, and put her own broken
one in my case. Her husband came
next day with Il new one, but OF
course | refused to receive il. The
habit is a frightful curse sadly ended
the doctor, land numbers some of oul
most brilliant society ladies among its
victims. ~ y Telegram.