The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-08-15
ONE oPluM.EleNp CURED.


A confirmed opium smoker was re-
Gently asked whether he ever knew O
person who had been cured OF the
habit
"Only once" he replied, land then
It wasn't voluntary cure by any
means. He was man about thirty.
five years old, who had been a slave to
the habit for fifteen years. He was so
given up to It that his business went to
smash, and he used to resort to all
manner OF things in order to get money
to purchase she'll He used to crave
eight shells or two dollars worth OF
opium day. and have frequently
met him in joint that was run by two
tough Cinnamon in Marion street. Of
fering to roll for smokers in order to
share their opium. One day he had
been without smoke for about seven
hours, and he became so desperate
that he tried to rob the till in grocery
store. He was detected and arrested.
He got word down to the joint telling
Of his misfortune, and begging for
Gods sake that somebody would send
him some opium. bought some dry
opium pills, and got them in to him
after deal OF trouble. The next day
called on him, and more miserable
wretch never saw. He was suffering
the tortures Of hell. He was doubled
up with cramps in his stomach, and
the inevitable pain between tho shoul-
ders, which feels as though somebody
was driving spikes into your flesh, was
racking him. These tortures were
joined to severe pains In all the joints,
as though the limbs we're decaying and
would soon drop off. He had been
without opium so long that he was
fairly famishing, and the small guam
tity Of the drug had been able to send
was disposed of in short order.
There isn't taste of it left" he
yelled to me, as entered his cell in
the Tombs. Then he rolled his tongue
around as though searching for any
small particles that might be hidden
away in tooth. gave him the pills
had brought. He seized them like q
starving man would seize crust Of
bread. He placed two of them in his
mouth and rolled them around until
they had dissolved. and then
washed them down with mouth
full of water In few minutes
he was lying on his cot as placid
and happy as u healthy baby. kept
him supplied with opium until he was
tried and sentenced. managed to
slip few of them into his hand rs he
was on his way to Sing-Sing. I heard
no more of him and forgot all about
him until one day, on Broadway, sew
eral years later, d stalwart, rosy
checked fellow slapped me on the
shoulder and heartily shook me by the
hand. was nearly surprised into a
fit when he explained that he was the
opium fend OF few years ago. He
said that when he got to Sing Sing the
habit was on him very strong. The
pills had given him had crumbled to
dust in his pocket and had become so
mixed up with lot Of other stuff that
he could not use them. He was in u
raging torment that night, and cried
for the drug. The keepers found him,
and the prison physician, who was
called, fortunately diagnosed the case
correctly. 1t wasn't much credit to
him, however, for every feature OF the
mans face and every motion OF his
body almost proclaimed him an opium
fiend. He was removed to the hospi-
tai, and the physician was kind enough
to get interested in the case. He
braced him up with hypodermic injec-
tions Of morphine every time the crav-
ing came on, and by liberal use OF
this drug finally wore away the desire
for the other OF course this treat
ment created the morphine habit. but
this was more readily cured, and my
friend soon lost all desire for drugs OF
any kind, and is prosperous. happy
man to-day. II he had not been ar
rested he would certainly have gone
the way OF all the fiends. and have
ended his life himself, or died miser.
able in some hole. He tried to reason
the case with me in hopes that would
surrender tho drug and endure the
agonies that such a privation would
produce for the pleasures attending
the feeling that I was no longer a
slave to it. have heard all those
Arguments q thousand times, and fre-
quently have lain in joint with an.
other smoker, and we have both sworn
of, and the very next day we would
both be in the same place again. an
getting worse every year. The habit
is growing more expensive, and the
longer / am at it the less disposed do
feel for work of any kind. My memory
is failing me now, and am already
pretty we'll along on the downward
road. I'll go a little further down
and then goodbye to evory thing."-
N. Y. Sun.
Boarding-House Aftermaths.
| Sy,.