The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-01
THE OPIUM HABIT,
Last Weeks Report of the
British Royal Commission
Condemned.
Physicians Who Believe Its State
ments Likely to Be MIscon-.
Strued.

Considerable discussion has been pro-
voked by the report of the British Royal
Commission presented in Parliament last
week upon the use of opium. Over 720
witnesses were examined by the commits
sion, including 152 called at the desire of
the anti-opium society. 1t is stated that
every care was taken to obtain
representative testimony, and great
reliance was put in the statements
of 161 medical students. The cable
special to the New York Sun says the re-
port will astonish many people, especially
in America. The report states: "Opium-
takers of fifteen to twenty years standing
appeared before the commission. They
believed the habit had done them good.
Their appearance and vigor satisfied the
Commissioners at all events that it had
done them no perceptible harm" The
conclusion was: Opium is harmful,
harmless, or beneficial, according to the
measure and direction with which it is
used.'
DR.. E. s. Wemple, when seen at his
streets, said: "This report is at least a
badly worded publication, calculated to
encourage the fiend. The opium or NOR
phine habit is the most pernicious to
which a human being can become adj
d1cted. This is doubtless especially true
OF the people of the United States who tax
their nervous systems so enormously"
DIR. X. w. Rogers, when asked his opin-
ion of the report replied: Il regard it as
most dangerous statement, used as news
paper information, however valuable it
may be to the profession. The danger lies
in the effect it will have upon the mind of
the young physician and the layman.
Such report from such source will have
the tendency to do away with the very
wholesome fear that now exists with re-
gard to the use of opium or morphine.
That opium can be used except under cir
tain abnormal conditions of which the
physician is the best Judge, without dele
ferrous effects l do not believe, and | con-
denim as a physician the dissemination
through the public press of such informa-
ton"
DIR. w. E. Fitsher, resident physician
for many years at the William A. Ham
mond Sanitarium at Washington, D. c.,
and late surgeon of the United States
army, when approached said This re-
port has awakened unusual interest in the
public mind, and deserves the strongest
condemnation from the reputable ply
sicians. l notice that in connection with
the report an interview with Sir William
Roberts is published, in which he observes
that opium does not appear to beget any
disease. The best medical authorities of
the world will concur with me in the state
ment that the opium habit is disease,
and that a cure for it would be blessing
to the human family second to none.'
When asked what prospect there was for
the medical profession to offer an antidote
for the opium or morphine habit, he con-
tinued:
CATER an extended observation of four
years with hundreds of opium and NOR
phine cases, having watched the course of
three such cases which were treated with a
remedy called ''Soteria," by DR.. J. G. An
thony, whose offices are in the Chronicle
building, from whom this antidote en-
anates, and having successfully treated a
brother physician myself, l can truly,
without exaggeration, say that "Soteria"
is the only antidote and specific for
the opium, morphine and cocaine habits
that removes the desire and cures the pa
tent, all medication as well as the craving
for the drug being removed with weeks
treatment. 1t is the most wonderful spe-
ciic yet discovered. l shall continue to
use it in my practice, and can recommend
it in all confidence to my brother physi-
clans in the treatment of the opium habit.
The opium problem with which the British
Royal Commission has been graphing is
solved by "Soteria," the value of which
the press should be only too glad to dis
Semlnate.