Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-11
Written for The Evening star.
CHLORODYNE.

Unknown Danger of This Insidious Evil.
We have all heard Of morphine fends" and
| "opium fends, and some Of Us have had the
great misfortune to know some of these poor
creatures and TO witness their suffering and
degradation. but to many persons. happily, the
term ''chlorodyne fend' is unfamiliar. and
when first heard will not even remotely suggest
all the horror it implies.
Chiorodyne is an apparently harmless drug,
for the preparation of which we have to thank
Mother England. and also for its high cost
would that 1t were trebled in price.
1t Is powerful anodyne, compounded OF
morphine. chloroform, prussic acid and Indian
hemp. favored with sugar and peppermint.
Inquiry fails to reveal the exact amount Of NOR
/ phine. Some one has said there are forty grains
OF morphine in one ounce Of chlorodyne, but
this statement cannot be vouched for.
HOW REPUrABBLE WOMEN ACQUIRE THE HABrr.
Reputable physicians recommend it to nerv-
Gus women for headache, exhaustion and incip-
lent ais, and thus the evil gains its first foot
ho.d. In small doses the effect for n time is
beneficial. but few there be who stop here.
lis useless to- argue from high moral stand
point that only the weak fall SO much the
more should the strong protest the weak. But
this Is not an argument; It's only a simple
statement of facts.
At The recent church congress at Folkestone
on ''Womans day" among other distinguished
Affects Women in the Upper and Middle
Classes was the Duchess Of Bedford, who spe-
cislly mentioned chlorodyne rs one OF 1.-The
edged tools that surely should be resorted to
only for the most serious reasons on most ex-
ceptional occasions"
Tho women of England are aroused to its
danger; so also should be the women of Amer
lea. Not vet is this vile drug recognized here
a. an EDGED tool" and its Is increasing
with alarming rapidity.
sTIMULAST FOR ovERwoRKED NERVES.
The exigencies of modern life are very great,
and nowhere is the stress and pressure OF it
felt to so intense degree in our United
States Of America, where work and excited
emulation are the very breath of life. and the
leisure classes work hard in the pursuit OF
pleasure ms the self-supporting in the routine
instead Of granting them the rest they arc
clamoring for they are logged with a stimulant
OF appeased with an anodyne.
Much more insidious in its advances than
liquors of any sort, chlorodyne should be labeled
dangerous, and its sale without phvsicisns
prescription should be as strictly prohibited as
that Of morphine or any other poison. 1t can
now be bought as easily a cake of soap.
WHEN THE APPETITE Is ONCE FORMED
An appetite for it once formed, heroic
measures only can save the victim. An lido
cyncracy of this hideous disease-and at this
stage il must be considered such-is that there
Is "a constant craving for increased doses. often
an ounce or more day is taken. and also for
alcoholic stimulants of all and any sorts, the
stronger the better. The sense of taste becomes
so jaded and dulled by its use that many old
topper could not swallow without grimace the
doses that delicate women take without the
culver of an eyelash; perhaps, complaining that
they are wishy-washy or tasteless. Fact.
THE EFFECT OF THE DRUG.
In some respects chlorodyne is more to be
dreaded than morphine or opium. Elaborate
and full statistics have not been compiled. but
data from some cases warrants us in consider
ing 1t more utterly demoralizing. The victim
OF this fearful habit becomes perfectly UNI
scrupulous and morally unbalanced. develops
a msnlacal cunning in the invention Of lies, not
only fol the purpose of Obtaining the drug. but
also from an apparently fendish delight in lying
for the lie own sake. As the deadly drug adj
vances in its horrible work much of the suffer-
ing CT delirium tremens is experienced, and
many of its symptoms are present. Affecting
the brain. and in some cases especially the
seat of language an intense exci:abiity results
not readily distinguished from pure insanity.
In the frenzy thus produced the language used
could be matched in the mad house only in
the haunts of the Diilingsgate fishwoman.
1t is not conceivable that any woman worthy
of the name would voluntarily put to her lips
this so-called medicine if she knew its true ma
ture and dangerous power, a veritable HYDRA
headed monster. 40 many and various are the
evils II entails SO difficult Ii 1t 70 escape its
clutches.
NOT ovERpRAwS.
Do not imagine for a moment that this
sketch is overdrawn or sensational Too many,
alas, will know that the half has not been told.
Far be it from the writer to lift the veil Of
privacy from individual cases. differing widely.
of course, according to character and tempera-
nlent generalized outline is all that has
been attempted.
Ii is a good subject for agitation in the
women's clubs. The Ladies' Health Protective
Association could do no more valuable work
than TO secure legislation that would restrict
the sale o: chlorodyne.