Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-03-23
oRut,s FOR THE NERVES.
4 Short TAX with . brooklyn Apothe-
sary About Their Use.

shFy Auvut Aueh Oecs
An elegantly dressed woman of mid.
die ago. whose face bore traces Of great
beauty. entered ono of tho largest drug
stores in Brooklyn. and walking
quickly TO the rear Of the store, where
ono Of the proprietors was busy mix.
ing prescriptions, handed him slip Of
paper. Before shc had reached him
tho proprietor had seen her coming
and. stopping his work, had reached
almost mechanically for a large bot
tlo which stood on shelf behind him
and which was filled with some white
substance. As hc took tho slip Of
paper, which was evidently prescrip-
ton. hc simply glanced at it and pro
eeedcd to weigh out certain portion
of the contents of the bottle, which he
wrapped up and handed to the lady.
When she was gone an Eagle reporter,
who had been standing by, asked the
proprietor what il was he had given
her.
Bromide Of potassium" was she
laconic reply.
"What is il used fort" was then
asked.
Nerves." replied the proprietor
"You have no idea, young man. he
continued, 'how much We sec Of that
and kindred hypnotics every day. II
is simply awful. No one outside Of
this business and tho medical profcs.
sion has any idea Of tho number Of
educated. well TO do people who use
bromide Of potassium, bromide Of so
dium and chloral every night to in.
ducc sleep. Morphine and opium are
perhaps not used as much rs they
were. for the law is that mono shall be
sold by druggists unless on prcscrip.
ton. We have regular customers,
though. for opium, who obtain pre-.
scriptions for the deadly drug in some
way. Ono man comes here every
second day for his regular allowance.
He is poor man, too, and | asked him
tho other night what he would do If
he should finally find himself in po-
sition where he had no money TO buy
what 10 him is the staff Of life. Do
he exclaimed. with a look Of despair,
God only knows what | should do
Kill myself, | suppose.
'.IIow did that man get into the
habitl"
"IIc was severely injured and taken
to tho hospital. While there his Sc.
we're paroxysms Of pain were relieved
by morphine. When ho was dis.
charged rs convalcsccnt at intervals
hc had recurring spells of this pain,
and naturally hc turned to the same
drug for relief. II is quite impossible
for him TO break Off the habit. for he
cannot work unless he has his usual
dose, and he is dependent upon his
trade for livelihood"
What is the latest fad in hyp-
hottest"
"Solfonal. a product of petroleum.
Before solfoml. antipyrinc was all the
rage. the latter also coming from pc.
trOlcum. There is a peculiar fact
about people who Use nerve quicting
drugs. and that is, the moment new
one is discovered, although it may
have scarcely become known TO ply
sicians. there is q call for il immcdi.
atcly. suppose that such people are
constantly on the outlook for some.
thing and when one discovers new
drug he tells the rest Now this
solfonal is very recent dis
CoNcTN' iHth liy sICHhiS wv Hot
fully understand its effects and use il
with great caution, yet people will
send for and take large doses Of il. II
is known that five grains III quicken
the action Of the heart. ,d still /
have customers who in Il ir igno-
rance think nothing Of TAXI : fifteen
grains. Is wonder that Some of
them don't kill themselves, but per
haps they do, for all | know"
"What are the after effects Of this
new discovery"
"Now, SO far as can be determined,
unlike opium, il has apparently no
dclcierious rcactionary effect upon the
nerves. but it is almost too early to
Judge of the properties OF solfonal, it
is of such recent birth. ."-Brooklyn
Eagle.