Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-08-29
DANGERS OF COCAINE,
The Drug Easily Fascinstes Users by Its
Pain Desdening Qualities.

ram beAuening QUALITIES.
Fev drugs in recert times have received
more general commentator than cocaine
Its advantages rs a local aneSthetic, re-
ceived with some incredulity when IL was
first introduced, have been SO abundantly
proved that there may be tendency to
overlook the fact that there are certain
dangers attendant upon its too frequent or
reckless employment. Asa local anesthet-
ic 1t has won golden opinions where small
operations were required upon superficial
parts. In ophthalmic and laryngeal sur.
gerry it may fairly be said to have revolu.
tionizcd the methods of few years back
But every now and again warnings are
brought forward which Indicate that with
cocaine, as with opium and other modes of
producing local or general au9sthesia, there
is danger in the familiarity which breeds,
If not contempt, at least disregard Of ordi,
nary precautions. NerdictS of misadven
ture are no consolation to those concerned,
if there is an underlying conviction that
the fatality might never have occurred il
there had been any due appreciation OF
danger.
Cocaine is drug which shares with
opium and many Others the questionable
credit of developing "habit that is OF
leading by the benoticent effects expert
encod after small doses, to II desire for the
repetition of the relief and rs conse
quenco the dose employed tends to become
greater, and the precautions which perhaps
were taken at first arc gradually relaxed.
"CoCaineiSm Is not so we'll recognized in
this country as in America, but 1t I'M
doubleday exists AS form of self indul
gence or rs n practice which, like murphin-
ism, originally employed as n means of al
leviating some chronic trouble, has ulti-
matcly developed into n form of self indul-
gcnce in which the need of restraint and
of precautionary measures are entirely lost
in the fascination of the relief afforded by
the drug In a recent inquest, the evidence
showed that the drug had been originally
prescribed for tho relief of pain in the
gums, and the symptoms Immediately pre-
ceding the termination were merely those
of collapse. There was no indication of
tho amount employed or taken. In most
cases collapse is the most marked feature,
and this symptom may arise when the
drug has been employed as q local applica-
ton in tho form of hypodermic injection
or spray, and may frequently call for slim
ulant treatment after employment of the
spray IN laryngeal examinations.
1t must not be forgotten, however, that
a true cocaine habit may be developed
when the drug is taken internally in any
quantity, and that this condition is occa
sionally marked by curious Authorizations
and perversions of moral sense, which, II
the use of the drug is not discontinued,
may lead to moro serious central disturb
ances. The summary of the whole matter
may be expressed in the proverb that fro
is good servant, but a bad master" Co
caine or any other drug which allays pain
has its limitations, and these arc reached
when the craving for the relief afforded
leads to disregard of the attendant dan
gers.-London Lancet.