Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-30

MORPHINE AND ETHER IN THE PARISIAN CLUE
ROOM AND OPERA box.

MORPHINE AND ETHER IN THE PARIS1AN CLUB
ROOM AND OPERA BOX.
From lie Progress Medical
Would you believe that some persons take
pleasure In poisoning themselves simply be-
cause their neiyhbors do it? This is however
fact recently affirmed and proved by DR.. Reg
nard at the Sorbonne. The large audience OF
the Association Scientifque seemed to be COM
pletely dismayed at his revelations. Upon q
large table IN the amphitheater were disposed a
series of the most brilliant-looking Baskets,
plated with gold and silver, or perhaps ofbronze,
or inlaid with pearl. You would think, to see
them, that you had a grand display Of tewelry
case What YOU see IS only an admirable col.
lection Of syringes. Some ofthem are enclosed
in charming little reticuies, or in smelling
and the little vial which goes with:it
nard tells us that these luxurious implements
are designed for the pleasnre-ioving people Of
in gambling, horse racing and other dissipa-
lions, the emotional excitements which they
seek tor SO eagerly. These are the persons who
purchase these marvellous Baskets, which will
although they can hardly rejayenate the used;
up brain: The walls contain solution Of
it beneath the skin. Do you wish to krow how
person becomes a nlorphiomaniac in the
has tired of his habitual pleasures; that the
greatest OF them have lost their power
10 please. Inc 1rlenu replies That he had
been in q similar condition. He had found
consolation however, in morphine; the drug
had restored his tone and brilliancy. No more
than this is necessary to make morphio-
maniac out of u blase man or nervous woman.
But rs it is necessary to dissimulate and pre-
serve sentiment Of careless ease in the pur-
suance of the dread habit, one Of the luxurious
caskets with its golden syringe is purchased.
While, therefore, the ordidary syringe used for
the purpose may be had for S1.25 the fashion
iOnable syringes will sometimes fetch as high
as $40. They are often given as New Years
presents. 1t is with these instruments, which
they always carry with them, that gentlemen
at their club or ladies in their opera boxes re-
vive the almost eXtinguiShed sensations and
sentiments of the past.
Instead of morphine injections some persons
1nhale ether. People become etherOmaniacs
for the same reasons that they become NOR
phiOmaniacS 1t is y vogue, q fantasy, which
provokes these abOmiAable intoxications. There
are also mOrphiOmaniacs who habituare them-
selves by degrees to the poison to diminish the
violent pains OF gastralgia, or facial neuralgia;
and we have n whole category Of persons who
poison themselves simply as q matter of caprice
DIR. ReSnard divides norphiomaniacs into two
groups-thOse who poison themselves honestly
and those who do so because it is the fashion,
The deplorable facility with which it is possible
to procure solutions of morphine favors the de.
Velopment of this new malady among the idle
and degenerated beings of high society. DIR.
iteSnard abused these homeopathic persons in
the wit test way. Nevertheless / recognized
several morPhiomapiacs in the audience, who
appauded the lecturer in the heartieSt man
ner.