Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-07-02
SLAVES TO MORPHINE.
Physicians who Ruin Their Health by Using
the Deceitful Drug.

confirmed morphine eaters. l 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 a 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"
II should think" interrupted the
reporter, ''that doctors who are
aware of the consequences of the
habit would be the last to form 1t. "
80 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 man inviting
another into drug store and treating
him to hypodermic injection of NOR
phine. Neither is it ever taken at
dinner or at an evening party. There
fore 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 man has become
partially addicted to the drug in sick
ness he oftentimes continues its use
during convalesccnce, and before he
realizes that he is in the tolls he finds
that 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 as 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 as disastrous to its victim as
the other.
tinued the doctor, "why so many of
the morphine-takers are physicians.
The use of the hypodermic syringe is
something that laymen have little
knowledge of, and they are therefore
unable to form the habit, even if they
had the desire to do so. / presume,
also, that physician, from his own
knowledge of the use of the drug and
its effects, has more confidence in him
self than a layman would have, and
this often tempts him beyond the power
of resistance. Then, again, doctors
are so overworked, as a rule, lose so
much sleep, eat so irregularly, 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. ="
"Does it fully take the place of rest,
food and sleepp'
Il suppose | should not have said
that it completely does, for that would
be impossible, but it produces an in
slant relief. The patient becomes
soothed and quieted. His nerves cease
to trouble him and pain vanishes in a
second. A harmony fills his soul, and
although he may lay for hours on his
bed as sleepless as the sun at midday,
he is never tired, never lonesome and
never feels the slightest monotony.
His volition is entirely suspended.
doubt whether man who first feels
the effects of morphine would leave his
bed were his house burning down
around his head unless he were COM
PEELED to do So"
ut can be cured ?"
without question. ANY man who
has no organic disease such as renders
the constant use Of the drug necessary
to the relief of pain can be cured with
in thirty days, provided, of course, that
he has desire to be cured, for there is
no royal way to health for 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
chlorate of cocaine, injected hypoder-
mically, makes the cure of the morphine
habit as simple as the cure of cold in
the head. But this is not safe rule to
follow. While this drug has certain eff
fects, 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 supersedes. AS a well-known au-
thority has said: The most powerful
morphine habit of which can con-
ceive is TO the power and bondage of
cocacine as the weakest sapling is to
the full-grown oak. This is one of the
cases where the remedy is worse
than the disease. usually.
and so do all regular physicians,
treat the morphine habit in a
common-sense way. After the use of the
drug has been decreased for 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 nv sopOrifics and in the