Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-14
DRUGS AND DRINK,
StimuIants That Cause Far More
Harm Than Alcohol.

Ihnt Cause Far More
Harm Than Alcohol.
From the Hospital.
With our civilization has come a great
and continued decrease in drunkenness
The national drink BILL" concerning
which so much is said is less, man for
man, than 1t was century or half CEN
fury ago. or at least represents less con-
sumption. We hear more about drunken
ness. but that Is because we have ceased to
regard it as matter Of course, a regular
part of daily life. Therefore. 1t may be
surmised that our blue ribbon and other
armies in fighting the drink fiend" are
striking at what is after all dying mon
ster, though dangerous even in the DEATH
grips.
Meanwhile another and subtler demon
arises. The vices of civilization are with
u.s. and those who would scorn to drink"
as they call Misunderstanding the con-
sumption of alcohol from that of all other
liquids-indulge in drugs of various kinds.
Opium, either in the form of laudanum
drinking or in the subtler form of the hy-
podermic injection of morphia, is. though
not common, less rare than it is guessed to
be. Insomnia or pain which to our sensi-
tive nerves seems intolerails is the excuse
for beginning the habit and the end is
worse than drunkenness. The cocaine
habit" is a recognized fact in America,
where our Teutonic race. subjected TO an
iEtenser climate and intenser life than
t!lity and more irritable nerves. The in
halation of chloroform has proved an ire
sstible temptation to many. and women
he would scorn any indulgence n wine
sip eau de cologne and other perfumes.
Infinitely more dangerous than alcohol
are these forms of inebriety in that no re-
voting associations surround them. Their
victims do not regard themselves as drunk
ards-at least, not until the habit is fully
formed. They cannot Identify their nerv-
business, their faintness. their sleepless-
ness with cravings of the staggering loafer
OF the street. nor the rest they obtain after
the dose with the stupor of vulgar drunk
enness. Therefore, to an extent which is
not generally realized, women are subject
to this temptation. Their imagination is
not offended, and they can usually obtain
the drug they want without suspicion ard
carry it about in convenient forms 1t
takes long time for even intimates to
realize that the depression. the irritability,
the varying moods of rigid sbstainer
arise from drunkenness: We generally
conceive that condition as being due to
only one source. And drug habits of vari-
Gus sorts become incurable just because no
one realizes that they are simply a form
of inebriety.
The general habit of drugging is to be
condemned. No healthy person needs con-
tinual indicating with either digestives,
purgatives, tonics or sedatives. If a doc
tor preScribes these things, good and well:
he knows. presumably. when to give and
when to stop. but the irresponsible way in
which people pour substances far stronger
than alcohol into their systems would awak-
en- ones admiration of their courage, If IL
Cid not arouse ones indignation at their
folly. Cases have been known of ginger
drunkenness. Extracts of ginger, popular
among women as relieving functional dis
turbances, contain strong alcohol disguised
by the pungent spice. Arsenic eating is
not confined to Syria, but is popular an
improvement to the complexion among the
society danes of Australia, while innocent
PEOPLE take strychnine in their tonics with
out knowing 1t until they begin to feel
'.jumpy." The danger is two-fold-frst. the
directly injurious effects of the chosen drug.
and secondly, the risk of ignorantly clasping
to ones breast a viper more malignant than
the drink fiend." Alcohol we know and
dread. but these things-as dangerous as
alcohoEwe take without any fear. And
while for men and women of a different
race, dwelling in a hot and malarious climate,
quinine, opium and other drugs may be not
orly harmless but even wholesome they
are for us Anglo-Saxons, except in rare inc
stances, subtle and pernicious foes.