The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-03
MORPHINE IN PARIS.
The A luse a. inasthsties BY Society Ladies'.
Unfortunate Consequences.


The practice OF employing subcutane.
Gus infections Of riorphine as one Of the
riany .orias II opium poisoning has be
come formidable social evil IN tho latter
part OF this century. which has so much
! upon is conscience. 1t is ono Of the vices
! which science has taught. and of which
the list is certainly not exhausted. The
vulrari1a,ion Of ausestGctics justiles as
much alarm for the future Of the race a.
the vulgarizaiion Of chemical science IN
the preparation Of explosives does for the
future Of our public buildings. Ladies
nov tall, Of morphine. cocaine and ant.
pyrine as they talk Ct frills and fur
bellows Their language reminds one Of
tie Jars and phials Of a chemists shop
Doctors in the first instance initiated
| them iato the mysteries OF nnnsthciics.
and row the faculty has 10 secrets 60
withhold from them on this head.
Tie abusc Of anpsthetics. although not
confined to women. Is a vice which they
have seized upon-at al events. in this
part 81 the woild-aS though it were
specially intended for ,hcm. There i
something H. The nature Of woman which
makes her liable to respond TO the ias
cinaiing power of these drugs with fatal
readiness. and which breaks her will 10
resist their spell when it has once Oh
tanned o hold on her. What this some
Cling is. others may perhaps explain
The Prazci needle has been the death OF
many woman in France. The vice is
ono almost wholly confined TO polite
society. l.ael. Of stamina and high her
VOWS Development so Characteristic Of the
ladies Who m0vc-who arc always ON the
rovc--in The upper circles Paris life are
the conditions which almost invariably
lead 10 It, Women 50 organized. and who
lead sacA lives, are typical subjects ~
neuralgia in all its forms, from toothachc
10 thoac intorcOstal pains which ilal,e
maay people believe they have heart dis
case.
Tho woman who lives for society," do
not mean who sacrifices herself for society
in a noble scnsc-iooks upon pleasure a.
her right. and fcrcely resents pain when
it comes She will take II - IA warning
10 change her habits. but insists on hav-
ing il qucllod Immediately by her doctor
50 that her plans nay not be upset. The
doctor can do it-dOctOrs can do Wonder
fui things nowadays in con
quering disease they are not much moro
advanced than they were 1900 years ago.
physic has trigmpheI over pain. but
Death still triuIphs over physic. Tile
little piqUre in tho arm sends away the
raging neuralgia as if by magic. and what
Is moro wonderful. instead Of the pain 1t
gives a delightful sensation of perfect
Vitality happy mind in healthy body.
What a pity that the sensation does not
last very long, 1t may. however. be re-
newcd by having recourse to the little
needle aud by gradually increasing the
dose OF morphine Us the body grows ac-
custocicd TO the poison
The unfortunate consequences of this
habit in somo notable cases-thc death,
for instance, of the Duchesse de Chaulnes
few years ago-produccd wholesome
fear Of morphine. and although this fear
did not cure those who were already fas
cinatcd By tho cycsof the seductive iiend,
it kept many from following their exam
pie. Moreover. another pain killer came
into fashion, it vas young, and c0nsc-
qucntly he'd 10 bad reputation. This was
antiDyrine. whose praises DR.. Camille Sec
has couudcd il tho Academy OF Medicine.
Already sOmc dsquicting reports are
aloat respecting tho effect Of this drug
upon those who hayo haoitual recourse TO
II, and who have como TO look upon 1t rs
absolutely necessary - their existence.
We shall probably hear moro about it
soon Paris Cor. Boston Transcript.