Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-07-10
rAE DANGERS OF COCAINE.
Peculiar Effects Resulting from an In
judlclous Use of the New Drug.
lst. loud Globe. pemocrat.l


Experiments so far have scarcely re-
moved the drug from the realm Of the
empiric. Certain results are known to
follow given doses, but the philosophy
of its action is almost q blank page in
the experimental notebook. "a grain
injected in the arm Of a man who is
cowardly, " said physician, will make
him brave. know one who has been
grievously outraged by a business asso-
ciate. He told q doctor, 4 know | am
q coward or would smash that fellow.
] wish had some courage. i will give
you courage, the doctor said and gave
him q grain of cocaine. The injured
man Immediately became lion in dar-
ing, and brow-b beat his aggressor into
making an apology"
II has been conolusively shown that
cocaine is the antidote 7or opium, and it
is held, with slighter ground for the be-
lief, that each is q counteracting agent
on the other. Many cases of opium,
habit have been treated, all yielding
readily The number of doses that are
needed to cause thorough distaste for
opium Is not high. But in the cure by
this means there has been developed a
cocaine habit more violent and distress
ing than the malady displaced. This
has followed incautious use of the drug
in the cure Of alcoholism also. 1t is a
favorite expression of Dr.. Bauduy that
the opium habit Is to the cocaine habit
what the acorn is to the oak, and, too,
the drug is the most terrible it has been
the misfortune of man to abuse.
While person in normal health is
exhilarated by the use of the drug to
such an extent that natural cowardice
is supplanted by the greatest daring,
the slave to the drug, though previous
to his inthrallment the bravest of men,
becomes the most arrant coward. He
will not sleep, except at long intervals,
but never loses his appetite, eating
heartily as soon as tho nausea induced
by the injection passes off. No mental
| faculties are clouded or dulled, but,
owing to extreme constipation, the vic
tim is prey to lethargy, and will not
undertake great labor or enterprise,
become untidy in person, unclean in
thought and morally deprayed.
Some victims have continued Their
employments, but, on account of their
aversion to action, with great diminutior
of success. Opium, other narcotics and
intoxieants used to excess, cause persons
to become absolutely Indifferent to al
relations, duties and obligations; they
even become brutal or depraved as tht
cocaine slaves. Besides this effect in
the examination of the scalp of a med
ical man, it was found thai
the use of the drug caused a phenom
enon never observed before as thu
result OF any ailment or drug. Bony
Jumps will form upon the scalI
which, if pressed by the finger, will dis
appear, leaving, where the fnge
| pressed, loose scale or scab as tn
only evidence of the presence of any
thing unusual; if punctured by hypo
dermic needle small amount of water,
substance exudes An effort made tt
trace the contents Of the lump as it dis
appears under pressure will be as un
availing as the endeavor to catch til
globule of mercury with the thumb ant
forefnger Il runs along under tn
scalp, now this way, now that, until il
an unguarded moment it is gone en-
tirely. Rubbing these spots after tn
contents have been pushed away dry
grating sound is distinctly heard, as
piece Of dessicated scalp was bein
rubbed against the dry bone.