The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-19
A BLESSING AND CURSE.
Anodynes Measureless Boon to Mankind,
But Often Leading to Physical Decay
and Moral Degeneration,
From the New York SUM-

whether it be from purely physical pro-
cesses going on in the sansory nerves,
or the more exquisite torture which has
its seat and origin in disordered intela
lectual and emotional life. ..s--..-2,-s5
Not content with the mere assuage-
ment Of bodily suffering and the pallia-
ton of spiritual Affections, the modern
world demands also pleasurable stimu-
lation Of the senses and exaltation Of
the agreeable emotions. We do not
nowadays follow the slave of Epaphro-
dltus, who taught men tc accept stoi-
cally, by the exercise of the highest
mental faculty, the will, whatever
wounds of body or pangs of soul the
tates might bring to try them. Its
not enough to have found balm for
lacerated nerves, or to have discovered
means of alleviating sore distress of the
heart and bringing order into intel
-ectual chaos; but the healthy and
strong man would fain escape the
trivial aches and anxieties of the day.
The petty cares, the little worries, the
tedium of existence, the
"Slank Lnisgivings Of a creature
Moving about in worlds not realized"
these, too, aust be drowned and annul-
led. The dreams ofhasheesh, the forget
fulness Of chloral, and the nepenthe of
opium or norphia are courted, and at
what cost! Too often such pleasurable
indulgence leads the victim down the
path Of physical decay and mental and
moral degeneration.
Anodynes, and especially opium and
its alkabcids, have been measureless
boon to mankind but how easily do
they become a scourge. Intended only
to allay suffering, to combat wretched-
ness, to mitigate anguish which some
times threatens to overwhelm the brain,
it is becoming far too common to en-
ploy them as exhilarants against the
lesser ills of'existence.
It is not only the worn-out slaves of
labor, the victims of disease and de-
spair, and the fatuous frequenters of
opium joints who resort to the use of
| such drugs but instances are not want
ing Of men of supreme intelligence who
have allowed themselves to sink into
the lowest depths of narcotic -inebriety.
When De Quincy portrayed with
magic pen his own terrible experience
with opium, he had as comrades the
first Lord Erskine, the Dean Of Carlisle,
William Wilberforce, and Samuel Tay-
lor Coleridge!
De Quincy looked with horror upon
the spreading of this pernicious habit
in England, but that was more than
half century ago, before the advent Of
the hypodermic syringe, and beIofe-
morphia had become similar as the
active principle of opium. Then the
narcotic was far from obtaining the
appalling circulation that it has to-day.
Even in China, the land of the opium
habit, the increase in this form Of
inebriety has been enormous, due to
the removal of local tax upon the
drug; and it has been recently stated
by an English author that the number
Of opium consumers in the United
States, as compared with England, is
as thirty to one; but this is an unveri-
fed assumption.
Medical men have much to answer
for in connection with the continual
spread Of narcotic habits. They have
made the world too familiar with drugs
which should be used sparingly and
rarely; and too many chloral and NOR
phine inebriates have to thank their
. physicians, or rather curse them, for
the bitter knowledge that came of their
first acquaintance with anodynes.
1t is only short time since we re-
corded the death of a young school
girl from al overdose Of morphine, pre-
lscribed for her by medical student
named Harris; and for what purpose?
Headache aid sleeplessness These
are conditions for which, except under
the most remarkable circumstances, TO
experienced physician would ever order
this drug. There are other and better,
less dangerous, less seductive, remedies
at the command of the intelligent prac-
titioner for toe alleviation of symptoms
of this character; and We mention the
act of this student only as an indication
of the general laxity and reckless indlf-
, ference with which many professional
=. men are wont to prescribe a medlca-
ment which, administered with judg-
nlent, is one of the greatest of bl essipgs
but given carelessly or iujudi cionsly,
may result in irreparable ruin. The
> student merely reflects the thoughtless
ness of his seniors Beware, then, OF
the physician who uses morphine
; lightly. Armed witt. loaded. revol-
yer, he would be safer visitant to the
, sick room than with loaded hypoder
= mic syringe.
It is interesting to know that De
Quincy made his first acquaintance
l@ith opium through the friendly ad
: vice of a student to take it for headache
e An Undertaking Man.
It Collector Can you let me have the