Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-11-13
SALE OF HApRYUL BRUGs.
fhs Matter 10 Come Before the heRis'
lattre.

1.-THE insidious encroachIneDts that
are being made upon the vitality Of
this city by the unbridled and, l may
say, criminal disposal by dealers iu
morphine, opium and similar life-sap-
ping drugs, is horribleto contemplate"
said q weIl-known doctor of extensive
practice 10 q Telegram representative
today. "Its growth is 30 alarmiDgly
steady that during the ensuing session
Of the legislature the enactment Of q
very stringent law will be petitioned
for, 90 ss 10 curb the indiscriminate sell
ling or giving away of all deleterious
drugs to a minimum degree. The
ravages Of a contagious or an infectious
epidemic are dwarfed into iDsiguifi-
canoe In comparison with the havoc
created by the absolutely senseless NOR
phine habit, which seems to have
fastened upon all clases in this city, as
well a. elsewhere. The higher ele-
ment becomes its victim because OF the
carelessness or indifference on the part
Of some physicians who prescribe NOR
phIne to relieve pain, and the unsus-
pecting patient easily falls prey to its
seemingly irresistible enslaving quail
ties. Then the lower stratum Of hu.
man nature takes the drug because Of
It's inherant viciousness.
"There is now law on the statute
books Of the state of Oregon which rem
ders any one liable to prosecution for
misdemeanor who sells, or In any man.
ner disposes to another, morphine,
opium, cocana and kindred prepara-
tions, unless the act is warranted by a
prescription signed by regularly quail
flied physician. Practically this law
is a dead letter, for am sure not one
violation of it in a thousand has been
prosecuted since its enactment. 1 de-
sire the passage of law that will rem
der the indiscriminate vender of these
poisons felon, and further, that re-
putable inforniers be paid reward for
each conviction had under the law.
This, 1 believe, will have a greater
tendency to bride the criminal sale of
such drugs than anything that has yet
been suggested. There are no few drug
gists in Portland occupying enviable
business and social positions, now doing
a thriving traffic in contraband delete
rious drugs, who would abandon it il
they kntw Its continued prosecution
would be at the peril Of their good
standing by being confined in the PEN
itentiary.
"This traffic does not fall short of
manslaughter, when one looks about
him on the street and sees the many
physical, mental and moral wrecks 1t
has produced. 1t has undermined the
respectable status and a happy fu-
ture Of many and many young wo-
man In this city, and the amount Of
energy and ambition 1t has snapped
from young men here 1t Is difficult to
approximate even. At this time / am
treating five members Of 30 many re-
spectacle families here who became
addicted to the use Of morphine Just
through the carelessness Of physicians
prescribing for them while the victims
were sick. Four OF these cases / am
about to abandon as absolutely beyond
redemption. These patients, before
their enslavement, were among the
most promising young people here; and
now they are mental and physical
wrecks.n
In conclusion this physician says
that he believes that the petition 10 be
presented TO the legislature for the pas
sage OF an iron clad law regulating the
morphine and opium -tTafiic in Oregon
will carry the names Of 200 OF the most
reputable physicians in the state. A
number Of those gentlemen will be AT
salem when the bill Ia introduced, 10
lend II their moral support, Portland
Telegram,