Telegram-herald., 1889-06-16

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saS S2azDs - - Dx~x.

t-s sssl1~r ef ~sp<1n est12 = eel
s'sa sera 1rs.1s~s~. Aad yse ssys tas
Ssst-sa Herald. thsss are some facts reiat
L-- - it sAscn have sstAeF sssn wftnAs.d
CT t1seaea too aghtiy .Fo1- IA res8ls
TIE drlss - oo1fen1ea Ia toso es Hnsay ,, sai
phgs.si4as are xsasr4lis esnsar~d fer CIV
t1s q piae~ anaoaz teslr remedial sgents
tzgsesi aoa4aiy tn2 evil effects Of "a IA
laoderate 1ss q 0pslH are l-.ay, z1d 80
tefflsie e Sotld &c bard - sxazz~rsss
thea II . 4L-o undesirable that sogse ega-
cfa1d ops4as eaters esa a4Le BACK the habit
~ P44af1l islGs&s G1Ft.S tns course on
~nlca ths drug Nas 4iAlA.sts<ea - lhen
~ t1sir lnsslacAl 4IIsaataak But Naeee tlis
IA a faet tas responsibility sbesl1 % 90
Means &c PA gpsn the Pnysician- Opi1m
Is a drug NHlch - sbsoIa.eiy y Indispensable
la . csFtasa class of .ssstA0s.. 4Ad la them
It's use - inpos4uEs Ia osaeacsAt actssa
10 sot 4loCs coGEnsd "a the alles4Eloa q
pain L ader certain cosasli0as ia sfect 10
curative. IL Is oaiy fair 70 b=ilsve taAt
waesevcr . duly 4g.lined eoaseieDtioas
pnysAel.a orders lI for Patieat n 10 q esd-
ed- Al s41a physicians ara fully eoa-
s.i0us OF tfls dagger Of the Oplam baost
t-iag acquired sy patients, asa II Is safe 70
say that thsy asser direct is sss Ia any
case where the saostitatoa 0f another drug
Il possi.is. IL Ia, therefore. - has Deea
sad, a grave Injustice 70 put upon
them the responsibility u q ~saA siRdac,
trrssol4ts patle0t happens ~ becOnse fas
eluAled Oy II. Ahd there IL aoJthsr fact
sarccly ever mentioned Ia this connection
vnlch shoald be gwen due Protninence- OF
a. The confirmed oPiusa users, outside Of
countries ~sere Ine h-Sit Of asiag Il ia COM
mon, only very sssall pee cen.- had their
rrst experience with u during sickness
This - contrary u the general idea; out IL
a. ueVeftheicss the truth Another thing.
tie number 0f victims 70 tho opium habit IA
iuaaitsiy less Than Is generally supposed
OUTSIDE no hospitals physicians Ia active
prtcree, even IN cities. .ay count oa the
nngers Of one hand all the cases Of this sort
eaaa One sees la a lifetime.
The opium habit Is . subject which Is ever
popular with the Sensational writer, for no
matter now much be may draw on bis mag
Inarlou hls statements viii generally be be
heycd. tie can not 20 far astTay when he
conhacs himself 10 the terrible effects Ot an
immoderate use OF the drug hen iong per
sisted iu- The victim IN time becomes men
tally and physically the most pitifm wreck,
aad, what - worse set, when he tries 70 free
himself from the habit. ne nnds that the
doors he closed behind hiua arc almost al
ways locked Some, 10 Is truc, break away
snd return % good health, but the number
g. fortunate j. comparatively small. The
slave 10 drink, drunken s0t the greater
part OF MS life. finds "a hard 20 reform and
live n decent hfe, but even he encounters no
such obstacles in tho way Of rig nt as does
the opium eater after he has well
entered the downward course But
OF the number who use opium. by 10
means al descend rapidly from bad
A.. Il.
ly Increasing their doses OF the drug
That. very likely. IS the rule among opium
s..ters OF civilized countries, but IL certain
Tvs not the rule where its use is most
common aud inhnitely the largest qnanti-
tics 0f 10 arc consumed. A gentleman who
has spent many years in India, and studied
the opium habit there, even goes 80 far a.
g. say that 4 moderate use OF the dTug-as
~ j. consumed by the very great majority of
those either eating or smoking its not
prcludicial. and u very many persons, and
ia many positions, IL - actual y beneficial.
Among the RaJpoOts." no SAYS, ''the ma
j0rity use opium Ia one form or another
either swallowed ia the shape of little pills,
OF drunk as 'uual pawoec, or smoked as
cinnduL Yet the RAjpoots. speaking gen.
orally. are as dnc race OF men as any 70
b. found in the eastern hemisphere.
hearty and capable Of the greatest fat .,
who have used opium from their youth up
ward II - very rarely that these people
exceed the accustomed quanlum. and
have occasionally known individuals to
break OF the habit But as a rule nnding
does them uO harm and that they are
eNhiiaratct and strengthened thereby, The
habit Is not left oI. Again, in the more
Ualariou- districts OF India. IA. indeed. In
some other maiarious countries opium eat
ing is very prevalent Opium has long
been noted "a an antlperiodc,
aud there is no manner OF doubt
that it IS prophylactic against
sgae and malarious feorile diseases
ganerally II IL were not for opium, the
mortality from malarious fcvcrs I'm India
would be very much greater than II is. Il
Is also Al inestmable boon 10 the very
poor, aud especially ia times of scarcity and
famine. for u enables persons % exist upon
less food than they otherwise could live on.
Neither i tho consumer Of opium mcataIly
incapacitated. "
The conclusions which may be drawn
from al this are. that opium, wheu proper
~ used, Is a drug OF exceeding value; that
in certain conditions OF ill health IL IL ab-
solgteiy Indispensable; that when abused
and used immoderately ~ is surely de-
strlctive % health and life 10 ls an agcn,
which ought never % be in other hands
th.o those Of a physician. When ordered
for patient, ne should axe 81 nhesitattn1-
Is but limit ia use 20 the absolute need.
ant never self administer 70 on his own re-
spor sibHify II these rules are observed.
oDIm vii never 30 any ore harm As for
The cFcrts upon The people % Indla and
ClIra. they would not be ths same as those
-.
using was not a national one Custom
breeds tolerance and the habit perpet-
ratcd generation after Eencrati0n has
doubtless lost muca u is virulence, "a
aoes the poison ~ rsbias IN VI Pasteur's
laboratory In his process - attenuation.
Certain 10 is that opium eating or smoking
can never be usrfed in any civilized coun-
try. and criticism Is useless beyond such
limits.