Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-14
USE OF STIMULANTS.
DOCTORS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE
FOR DRINK AND OPIUM HABIT.
Some Terrible Statistfcs-Aicoho and
Opiates Are Too frequently Pre-
scribed by Medical Men.
New York Herald.l

Ask any conscientious. competent doc
tor which two of all the remedies in the
pharmscopGia he regards IA the most use
full to mankind aud he will in all proba-
bility say opium and alcohol-oplum first,
alcohol close second.
But should you press him further with
the question which two drugs are most
dangerous TO mankind he will surely reply
opium and alcohol. or alcohol and opium.
so save himself from being paradoxlcal.
At any rate, il is an unquestiorable fact
that these two drugs have done lncalcula-
bic good aud unreasonable mischief.
But how the mischief Simply because
they have been prescribed without rhyme
or reason At times when there wasn't the
slightest indication that their use was ne
cessary. and by doctors, too, many OF
them III practice long enough TO know the
danger of such medication. And what has
been tho consequence
Thousands and thousands OF opium
fends and druukards to-day got the hrst
taste Of what must be Their ultimate de-
structIon from the hands-yes, from the
hands OF their doctors.
This ~ a sweeping accusation 10 MAKE
but, nevertheless. II "a borne out 81 facts,
horne out BY statistics. and, more than
tllt. u lNIEt 4t4bbIiAF VI AbO NpNhHt" - w.
city and for that matter. elsewhere in the
country will admit that the reckless ana
vhat may be termed the unprOiesslona
use of alcohol. of opium and Its alkalOldS
has much 20 answer Tor.
Ouium and alcohol have few. If any,
curative properties. Both are palilatlyeS,
tones, valuable assistants 20 weakened
nature in her effort to regain her lost
trength. But that - all. 1t administer
a mood Indictment they do Il
world Of good aud often tide over a sui
ferer in his struggle for heath who would
otherwise die. Yet, somehow or DINER,
phvslclans have fallen into tue habit OF
prescribing thcm for all conceivable man
ner Of allmcnts from consumption u
alOpecla.
IyAMINING PRESCRIPTIONS.
Not long AGO | took several druggists
into nv confidence and they allowed me
to look over their ules OF prescriptions
those long worms OF dusty papers strung
ON wire that are found III the OacK OF
every chemists shop where prescriptions
are compounded.
Listen 10 these few figures, doctors. and
then eyplaia them If Won can. 10 me they
are an enigma ceased trying 70 classify
and study out long ago.
IN % little drug-shOp IN the very heart OF
the most populous distinct OF the Last
Side less rhau a week ago saw over three
hundred odd prescriptions. Most Of them
were combinations such Is are used ny rs
IN our every day practice. By actual
count forty-niue OF them contained OPIUM
in one or other of its forms. The prescrip-
tons were not sorted out; they were taktn
in rotation Just as they came IN TO be
filed, and twelve of them contained such
large quantities that only could DC pre-
scnbed for one long accustomed 10 the use
Of The narcotic.
Further down. where poverty and
misery are more prevalent, in that part OF
the CITY where tall. bad y-ventiiated tene-
mcuts are stlil allowed 10 be inhabited by
human beings, | opened another OF these
wire-worms that had gathered dust IN
remote corner foe two years, and told OF
BOO prescriptions Us they ran and looked
them over ii was at once evident that
opium is still too dear for the pocket-Dooh
Of the poor man. Here only thlrty-lour
contained OPIUM, and the doses were ever
so much smaller.
CURIOSITY then took me uptown, where
"A dollar Is not turned over SO often before
II Is spent. The prescriptions We're care
fully numbered and pasted into big
scrap-boOk Tor ready reference. IL wa
less Of a task 10 r-ad them over, ana the
signatures were those Of our better zoe
tors who charge - or more for con5Ilta-
ton. ,ooo
Think Of II. Fif.y-one in string OF 800
had opium as their chief ingredient. The
other drugs written for we're manly men-
strums. or better vehicles to carry the
drug and give II disguise.
Bat this - not oil.
OF the total number of prescriptions
that were compounded a second time III
pine drugstores 40 per cent. were those
that had opium in them. In the same es-
Adjustments 90 per cent. of all that were
rphlled o third time had opium or NOR
phine in them.