Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-30

INDUCED IN--MEN WHO 90 ABOUT WITH lay
OUTS AND WILL ACCOMMODATE SMOKERS.
''Did you ever hit pipe?" asked well-known
young man about town of STAR reporter the
other day
What do You mean by hitting pipe?" asked
the reporter.
why. smoking opium" was the reply.
"That's the technical expression among those
who are addicted to the habit"
The rep orter confessed that he had never in
obliged in that luxury. and asked the young
man if he had
'Oh yes" he said; Il have done it, but
don't do it any more. was afraid would get
the habit fastened on me. and the man who be-
comes addicted to the opium habit is the greatest
slave in the world. Iwould rather be drunkard
hundre d times over than to have the opium
passion fastened on me-"
Where did you get your experience?'
| hight here In this city. WHY, there isn't
| Chinese laundry that hasn't an opium Joint
back OF 1t; Besides. you need not go to laun-
! dry TO md an opportunity to smoke"
| why, are there other Joints, as YOU call
| them?' 'ON >''
! Not public ones, where any one can 90. but
there are two or three men who have all the
facilities at their rooms. and those whom they
| know can go there and indulge More than
that. there are at least five men whom know
who carry layout with them and will go to
your own room or anywhere that Won NAV sug-
gest and afford you all the opportunity YOU
can ask TO take smoke"
I'm WHAT DOES LAYOUT Consist"
| "Well, small lamp over which to cook the
opium. glass or steel rod, the opium, and a
pipe. You see it doesn't make very large kit
and can easily be carried around"
docs the number Of smokers Justify these
men IN carrying kit with them?'
Indeed 1t does. You would be surprised to
know the number addicted to smoking opium,
ana new recruits are constantly coming along.
Many young men who have no regular employ
ment, because their parents are wealthy and
furnish them with plenty of pocket money
think 1t their duty to see every phase of life
They begin by drinking, playing billiards and
visiting places not to be named in polite So
ciety. Then they hear some one speak of the
effects of opium smoking. and as this form of
| dissipation Is a novelty to them. they are anx-
lous to try it. They find some one who knows
one OF these fellows with a layout. and they
man who cooks the opium gives it to
| them weak at first and does not
allow them to smoke very long. In fact they
are generally quickly overcome and 60 off into
/ the stupor, from which they at length awake
with the firm conviction that thew have expe-
| rlenced new sensation, and one that is not SO
very unpleasant either. Then they try it again.
until finally. unless they have an extraordinary
power OF Will. they are unable to break off the
| habit. 1t doesn't take a great while either for
one to feel the craving for the drug. for its
weakening effects. though very insidious are
quite rapid. L know man in this city who
some years ago made up his mind that he would
cure himself of the opium habit, and took
! trip out west thinking that a change of scene
of atmosphere, of habits, occupation and asso-
Citations would enable him to overcome his de-
sire to smoke the stuff He went out to Colo
RADIO: and during the trip of week didn't use
the drug IN any shape, but
| HIS CRAVING WAS so INTENSE,
and his nervous system SO completely unstrung
that when he got to Denver he struck a Joint
and then he was all right for few days He
| then realized how strong hold the stuff had
| upon him, and after he had toned up to his
normal condition he came back to Chicago and
placed himself In hospital then under the
| treatment OF skilled physician, telling the
doctor his story and begging him to do every
thing In his power to cure him. He was under
| treatment for a long time, and was finally pro-
nounced cured. He has told me himself that
after he came out OF the hospital he had no de-
sire to smoke, and that he felt better in health
and spirits than for several years previous He
was gone from Washington about two wears
and during that time he was free from the
| opium habit. He came back here and soon
| met former companion. one with whom he
| used to indulge in pipe and now he is worse
| than ever, for | don't believe it is possible for
him to break off the habit now. think if he
were deprived of opium for two weeks he
would de raving maniac. He has room
within stones throw of where we now are
and l suppose he and lady friend are in
| stupor now"
Are women in this city given to the habit of
smoking opium?'
Eyes, there are a good many OF course
| there is not SO large number of women as of
men, and most of the former are of the I'M
| fortunate class; still there are respectable
women In Washington who will hit pipe quite
| frequently. There are more women who use
opium In the form of paregorc and laudanum
than there are who get its peculiar effects
| from smoking. l have had some experience as
drug clerk, and know the large-I mean
comparatively large of course-number of
women who use these two preparations"
Are there any places in this city where
women can go and crafty their desire for
piper
Yes, two or three-I mean outside of the
| laundrles; and yet l have known women who
| would enter one of these Chinese laundries,
buy their opium Of the Chinaman and go into
| back room or upstairs, cook it themselves
| and get their smoke"
How long does it take for the effects to
wear of-that Is, L mean how long do they re-
| main in
THE sTUPoR WHICH FOLLOWS A sMoKE?"
THAT depends on the strength of the opium
and how long they smoke. Some do not smoke
long enough to be completely overcome. but
only get into sort of dazed state which wears
| of when they are once out in the open air. But
when person gets completely under the in
huence OF the drug he goes off into a stupor
which lasts from two to ten hours
us there any consciousness during this
| stupor?'
Sometimes there is a dim and uncer tain
knowledge OF what is going on about the
sleeper, but there is no power to resist; that is
| a man might have hazy consciousness that
| some one was going through his pockets and
| robbing him, but he would have no power to
| cry out i'll protest to physically interfere
| with the thief in his work. and the probability
is that when he awoke he would have no men,
| DRY of what had taken place. In complete
| stupor, however, man is, to all intents and
| purposes, dead for the time being. He has no
dreams, either pleasant or terrible, but all is a
| total blank"
| where do those who run these lay-outs' get
| their opium?"
Sometimes of the Cinnamon, but generally
| from New York. You know opium for smoking
is specially prepared; it is not the same kind
that Is used in drug stores in extracts. 1t is
much weaker. Then there is considerable art
| in cooking it properly. 1t must not be over
| done, nor yet must it be cooked too little"
''Do they cook it over spirit lamp"
"No; cheap sweet or olive oil or cotton seed
| oil is generally used in the lamp, SO that there
will be no smoke"
us THERE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE PIPE