Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-09-06
VIcTlMs oF MORPHINE.
The Effects of the Drug Explained by .
 New York Pharmacist

New York Pharmaclstav
 There entered an uptown drug store the other night a tall, slim young n an, with clothing hanging in rags all oyer his body, who amhled up to the coun or and asked in low tone for some drug, which was hastily put mp by the drug- gist and eargerly suatched and paid for by tho customer, who quickly with drew. As the druggist returned to my side he said:
 '"There is one or those poor, unfor- tunate young men who started in to play with morphine to find in the end that morphine was playing with him. He has reached that condition now when to be without the drug means hours of the most intense agony. l have deal ings with many morphine fiends, and knowing as do the power of the drug when once it gets the upper hand. pity the victim. Why do sell the drug to the fiend? Well, do not know, un- less it is pity that prompts me. I have been in his condition myself, and l know what the intense longing for the drug is, and probably on that account more than any other l furnish it when others would probably refuse it. A man who is the victim of the fatal drug soon reaches condition where he must have it. Then he will stoop to any crime or subterfuge to obtain it. 1 have had them come in here with forged or ders, apparently signed by reputable physicians, which they have written and signed themselves.
 II have tried adulteration but it does no good. If the victim finds that the morphine is adulterated he simply takes more of it. They know just as we'll as we do the strength of the drug, and a druggist who thinks to reclaim them by giving an adulterated article will not succeed.
 My experience with morphine eaters extends back for period of fifteen 1 years, during which time l have come in contact with almost every variety of this class of peculiar beings. I have found that morphine eaters will lie, steal, break up families, their own as we'll as any other, and do and cause all the mischief possible. They are appar- ently devoid of all the finer feelings of humanity and have lost all self-respect. Morphine isa stimulant and nafcotic Taken in small doses it increases the fitness and frequency of the pulse, in vigorates the muscular system, quickens the sense, animates the spirits and gives 1 greatly increased intellectual powers 1 Its operation, while extending to all parts of the system acts principally on the brain forces, the functions of which 1 it eXcites to intoxication and delirium. | In few minute this axhilaration sub sides and the mind becomes delightfully."- calm and placid and the individual be- comes insensible to all painful impress sions, and forgetting all care and annoy ance submits himself to a current of undetned: unconnected, but pleasing fancies. and is conscious of no other feeling than quiet and vague enjoy ment. At the end of a short period all consciousness is lost in sleep.
 "I have many customers who buy their morphine here and most of them come supplied with the necessary pre- scription from q reputable physician. Many physicians ~hsa they find that the victim is past redemption give the prescription, knowing that the victim will procure the drug anyway. The talk Of profit leading the druggist to sell the drug without prescription is not true, for the profit in morphine is very small-too small to cause him to l pShC buN tl'S ASl SiS will often lead a druggist to sell the drug where money would not tempt him.
 'I had a family, regular customers for years, who were all addicted to the habit. They were very rich when they | first commenced to buy morphine, but 1 believe they have lost most of their money by wild speculations, and others ! have taken advantage of their condition I to get goodly portion of it. Tho son. a fine-looking fellow, who was six feet high and weighed one hundred and eighty pounds before ne became addicted to the drug, died few weeks ago weigh, ing less than one hundred pounds The mother and father find all their comfort now in the morphine habit. l could cite many other cases. In fact. if you sit here for an horr at n time you will see the vic,ius r::pr in one after the other, and al attn :he drug. IN. Y. Herald.