The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-10
VICTIM OF COCAINE.
The Sad Examples Furnished by San
Francisco Dentist and His Wife.
From The San Francisco Examiner.

peared before the commissioners of lmacy
shoeless, aggedunkempt.is the same man
who, few years ago, was one of the most
successful dentists of this state, studious,
gentlemanly respected. The change was
brought about by cocaine. Mrs. Nina
Harding, nervous, draggled and fOrlorn,
beggar from the streets, is in cell Of
the city prison, charged with vagrancy,
and thrown into the companionship of the
offscOurings of society. Not long ago she
was a happy housekeeper, devoted to her
husband, proud of her six children, court
ed by her neighbors, educated refined
and generally beloved. The change was
brought about by cocaine. There are
now living in the lodging and boarding
houses within the central portion of san
Francisco over 2, 200 victims of the cocaine
habit in whom the drug has worked, or is
working, the same change 1t brought the
Hardings. The habit has grown in such
proportions within the past six years. 1t
is still growing, and rapidly.
The homes, asylums and jails are con-
tinually receiving victims of the habit,
and the police seem pOwerlesS to check its
progress. The Hardings are merely types
of the great class, their prominence call
ing particular attention to the spread and
dangers of the use of cocaine. DIR. Hard
ing is an Englishman who came to this
country more than quarter of century
ago He was slSillful dentist and tire
less investigator. In Pennsylvania he
met and married the woman who is now
behind the prison bars. Twenty-one
years ago the two came to California and
settled at Vacaville Thence they re-
moved to Susun. The doctor had lu-
crative practice, and as as a citizen was
highly esteemed throughout Solano
county.
Like many other investigating dentists,
he spent much of his time in the search
for an anasthetic which would make
tooth extraction and the general opera
tious Of dentistry painless. Some six years
ago he came to San Francisco At last
he secured a com Gination of drugs that
seemed less harmful and more effective
than anything known to the profession.
He was elated with the discovery, but
soon found there was one stumbling block
in the way. The anssthctic was value
less for commercial purposes because it
would not keep. 1t lost its effectiveness
almost immediately. So he continued
experimenting in the hope of curing this
last defect, and the subject of his expert
ments was himself.
In the anrsthetic was cocaine, and as
| the doctor continued his experiments his
anaesthetic, like the monster Of Frank
enstein, worked his own undoing 1t be-
came the master, he the slave. His wife
had some bad teeth. He administered
the anRsthetic to her. She found exhil-
aratiOn in the effect, and, unknown to
ner husband, began to administer the
drug to herself. Soon she, too, was com
pletely under its mastery. Before long
Harding became unreliable A wild look
came to his eyes. He neglected his at
| tire. The perfection and self-application
of his anesthetic became the one passion
of life. He lost his position and his pro-
fessiOnal standing. Slowly he passed
the social ladder his wife bearing him
company. They became nuiSances. Their
children were taken away from them.
They were examined as to their sanity
more than once, and We're on one occas-
ion, at least, committed to an asylum.
They came out, made a short struggle to
regain position, and then sank down
lower and lower still
The husband could no longer work, so
the wife went out upon tine streets to So
licit money. He sat almost naked in a
little room while she asked passersby at
all hours of the day and night TO lend her
small suns-asked for loans so the police
| could not arrest her for begging. The
money was spent for the bare necessaries
of life and for cocaine. With the drug
they danced and sang amid their squalor,
forgetful of the past, happy in the pres
they were nervous, maniacal, morose, and
even dangerous. The husband admins
tered the drug to his wife and the two
lived like beasts. When the supply of
the drug was gone they hunted among
the rags of the carpet for the precious
grains-hunted like eager simians more
than like rational beings. They had
little room on Howard street, with one
window opening on small patch of light
NtO II.
left his room. 1t was never cleaned If
clothing was given them by those charit-
ably inclined it was pawned and cocaine
purchased with the proceeds. They be-
came so dangerous that the landlady was
compelled to drive them out.
At the city prison Mrs. Harding fingered
the bars of the women'S cell with the
nervous, meaningless action of an animal
Crowding the cell with her were women
from the slums, the social debris left by
the receding tide in the stream of life.
Yet this woman, who few years ago had
been a leader in the society of her sur
roundings, seemed as squalid and de-
graded as the worst.
Il want to get out of this" she said in
plaintive, uncertain tone as she kept up
her ceaseless action. Il don't know why
they put me here. didn't owe any rent
and | didn't beg. ! only borrowed be-
cause we had to live. wish they'd give
me a little of the cocaine now-just lit
tie. Ask them if they won't give me Just
a few grains. ! don't know what they've
done with my husband. They had no
right to take him. He's a sick mana
very sick man"
How did you acquire the cocaine
habit}"
Il think began about five or six years
ago but I've had epilepsy recently, and |
don't remember things very we'll NV
husband gave me some of his an9sthetic
when he worked on my teeth, and / liked
the sensation. Then | took some of it
when he was away and didn't know any
thing about it. 1t braced me up like and
made me feel better in every way 1t
isn'e true that my husband got me into
the habit, though afterward, of course,
he administered cocaine to me. He
doesn't use it himself like / do. He uses
something else mixed with it"
''What does his an8sthetic consist
of2''
That's his secret. wouldn't tell if
knew. The dentists ought TO support
him for that, but they don't He uses
hypodermic injections, but it's only be-
cause he's sick. He has an affection Of
the joints, something like rheumatism,
and other local disorder. So he's really
a very sick man. Oh wish they'd give
me few grains Of cocaine. It's awful to
have it STOPPED right away like this. 1t
don't seem as if / could stand it.n
GtIg cocaine pYnpnciVp2p