St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-04-17
SLAVES TO MORPHINE.
Physicians who Ruin Their Health by Uslnl
the Deceitful Drug.

uOSooks W ASoAh hhS
large number of physicians who are
confirmed morphine eaters. / violate
no confidence when tell you that the
majority of my patients are medical
practitioners. each of whom knew
when he began the use of this frightful
drug exactly what the consequences
would be. My experience is not an iso-
lated one. In Austria, the medical sta
tisticians report that fully one-tenth Of
the doctors are addicted to this habit,
and in Germany the percentage is not
much smaller. The records of private
inebriate asylums. where this disease is
generally treated, as well as alcoholism,
show that majority of the patients are
physicians. The statistics of our own
country prove that we are not behind
our foreign brethren IN the use of this
drug. In certain New England city,
where there are over one hundred ply
sicians. nearly one-half are addicted to
opium in some of its various forms"
Il should Think interrupted the
reporter, THAT doctors who are
aware Of the consequences of the
habit would be the last 10 form it. "
$50 would any one who has not
made the subject special study" re-
piled the physician. mo man ever
begins using morphine for any reason
which naturally causes him to use
liquor. For instance. there is no con-
vivialty about the morphine habit.
You never heard of a man inviting
another into a drug store and treating
him to a hypodermic injection of NOR
phine. Neither is it ever taken at
dinner or at an evening party. There
tore the common excuse for forming
the habit which is SO often given by
victims of alcoholism can never be
given by slave of opium. Its first Use
is medicinal. After IA man has become
partially addicted to the drug in sick
ness he oftentimes continues its use
during convalescence. and before he
realizes that he is in the tolls he finds
chat he is no longer his own master.
and he continues its use until he is
completely enslaved. Of course, there
are some foolish persons who take up
the drug through curiosity. They are
usually children. or dissipated men and
women. and o. rule they are opium
smokers. not morphine takers. The
effect of the use, however, Is almost
precisely the same. Opium stimulates
the brain rather more than morphine.
but one is rs disastrous to its victim n
the other.
There is another reason. too, con-
:inued the doctor. ..why so many of
the morphine-taker> are physicians.
The use of the hypodermic syringe i.
something that lavmrn hay. little
knowledge of. and they are therefore
unable to form the habit. even if they
had the desire To do 81. | presume.
also. that a physician. from his own
knowledge of the use of the drug and
its effects. has more confidence in him
self than layman would have. and
this often tcnlpts him beyond the power
of resistance. Then. again, doctors
are so overworked. aS a rule. lose 81
much sleep. eat so irregnlarly, and are
obliged to have their mental and phySi
cal faculties in such constant order.
that they are led to turn to this drug.
which in time completely takes the
the place Of nature own restoratives.
docs it fully take the place of rest,
food and sle.p?"
Il suppose should not have sah
that it completely does. for that would
be impossible. but it produces an in-
slant relief The patient becomes
soothed and guieted. His nerves cease
to trouble him and pain vanishes in 4
second \ harmony fills his soul. and
although he may lay for hours on his
bed H. slecplesS as the sun at midday.
he is never tired. never lonesome and
never feels the slightest mOnotony.
His volition is entirely suspended. l
doubt whether Il man who first feels
the effects of morphine would leave his
bed We're his house burning down
around his head unless he were com.
PEELED to do so.
1T can he cured e'
Without question. Any man who
has no organic disease such rs renders
the constant use of the drug necessary
to the relief of pain can be cured with
i'm thirty days. provided, of course, that
he has Il desire to be cured, for there is
no royal way to health for a morphine
user. The cure is painful. but certain,
and the discovery of new drugs every
year makes it easier. Some physicians
assert that the new alkaloid, hydro
chloratc of cocaine. injected hypoder-
mically. makes the cure of the morphine
habit rs simple aS the cure of a cold in
the head. But this is not a safe rule to
follow. While this drug has certain eff
fect>. one of which is antidotal to NOR
phine. the habitual use of it is ten thou
sand times worse than that of the drug
it suparsedes. As well-known au-
tho-itv has said: The most powerful
morphine habit of which, i can con-
ceive is to the power and bondage OF
cocacine As the weakest sapling is tc
the full-grown oak. This is one of the
eases where the remedy Is worst
than the disease. usually,
and so do all regular physicians,
treat the morphine habit in 3
conlmou-sense way. After the use of the
drug has been decreased for Il few days.
while the patient has been built up by
the use of tonics and other medicines,
it is then stopped entirely. At first the
patient suffers and his weakness is ex-
cessive. He is relieved by medicines.
electricity. hot baths. tonics and food.
Sleep is caused by soporifics. and in the
course of II fortnight or more he is en-
tircly cured. Once cured, his taste for
the drug is generally gone. too.
LII this is the case. why ,lo so many
men suffer with the habit for years.
..'Tbe uSe Of morphine makes man