The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-06
COCAINE CHEAP, ABUNDANT.
Imports Of This lnsidIous Drug Quad
ruplsd In Las! Three Years.
HABIT IS GROWING VERY RAPIDLY.
Men In tho Prime of Life Its Fsvofite
vietims--A Physicians Sad
story Of the
Drug.

Within the past three years the lmpo'
fations OF cocaine 10 the United States
have almost quadrupled. This is a start
ling and significant fact -.
Figures as 70 the value OF th5 coSu ,n,,
crude and finished, imported INTO ihls
country are hard TO get, but the pes'
estimate, that of the Custom House peo-
pie and representative OF one OF the iesu-
Ing wholesale drug houses, Is not "a
from 1900 90. Cocaine Is made from cocoa
leaves and the main country supplying
these leaves is Peru. While IN 1879 the
Value OF the cocoa leaves imported liV'ii
Peru at this port was >lf,zoi tne hsuIes
in the fiscal year Just closed nso
nearly fourfold. being s5a, ~; me duty
on crude cocaine and the nnlsned pI0uuct
Is the same, IS per cent. cocoa leaves
are likely to suffer In course OF trans
portation by decomposition, and TINS can
Sc avoided by treating the leaves crudo-
ly. but as this half prepared product is
subject 10 the same duty as the hnished
product, IL does not pay American man
ufacturers TO import the former Inat,
however. goes 10 Germany, where II Is
made into cocaine. The imports OF cocaine
from Germany at this port for the last
fiscal year amount TO nearly Sl0OOOO.
II is difficult TO divide the remarkable
Increase In the use OF cocaine into legiu-
mate or medicinal use, and Legitimate
use by victims of the cocaine habit. But
Il Is certain that the Increase OF 400 per
cent. in three years Is by no means wholly
legitimate
In the slight difference between the
spelling OF coca and cocoa there rs an
opportunity for a mix-up in fluctuations.
which some clerks never miss. Ships
papers often come into the Custom House
with importations OF one product noted
when the other Is meant.
COST GREATLY REDUCED
The reduction In the price Of cocaine has
had considerable effect in populariz-
ing the drug. IL used to cost - or VI an
ounce, but now an ounce can be bought
at any wholesale house for 81, and no
embarrassing questions asked. An ounce
OF cocaine will last the heaviest single
consumer through the season.
There are many physicians who viii
not use morphine or any dangerous drug
10 alleviate a recurring pain. one or ire
foremost specialists IN nervous diseases
I'm New York told ne that for years re
had not given morphine In any -orm,
and he knew OF other doctors who took
similar ground. Neither would he use
cocaine for neuralgia There are other
drugs, ne said. which will give relief.
without the danger Of fastening upon the
patient habit which could not be sha&en
of
Even II these drugs are not taken as
stimulant. their constant use requires
larger aud larger quantities TO reduce
the pain. AS local anaesthetlc coca'ne
is valuable, but not invaluable. In sur
gical cases Il is extremely useful In max
ing any part insensible to pain. The etfec,
is purely local, however. and never {: II
result in the formation of a habit
Said a member OF the faculty II 'he
College of Pharmacy the other iaS Il
believe the cocaine habit Is gro rag fsSt.
There's an old eastern proverb which.
slightly changed, says, First the man
takes morphine. then the morphine takes
morphene and then morphene takes the
man. II is much the same with cocaine.
indeed, terrible as is the morphine habit,
tho cocaine habit is even worse, because
Il leads quickly and inevitably to insanity,
from which no one can recover. / knew
a bright young doctor who wanted
stimulus to enable him TO do prodigious
amount of work. He was familiar with
the powers and wonders OF cocaine ana
began 10 take IL hypodermically, thinking
that when the rush was over he could
stop. The rush is over for him forever,
and he has stopped. but he is immured in
q retreat. known only To his family, ana
Is hopeless lunatic.
HOW THE HABIT rs FORMED.
at is not a boys habit, this taking
OF cocaine. They are plenty of boy opium
smokers. and no end of fast women TO
keep them company. But the victims OF
cocaine are usually In the prime of life,
from thirty TO forty years old. They
may have been introduced TO the drug by
the family physician. who has advised
its use for the relief OF neuralgia, or
VINO has used II in spray In throat and
nose troubles, or the dentist may have
made operations upon the teeth painless
by cocaine: or. again. in the various prep
arations OF coca and kola wines they may
have had their first taste. These wines
hardly could hurt If the use of cocaine
stopped there But many times IL does
not. After a while the exhilaration and
good feeling due 10 the wine does not
come. Something stronger Is needed. Then
comes the cocaine. pure and simple Once
IN the clutch of the drug not one IN a
thousand breaks away.
THE druggists who sells morphine or
cocaine. or any similar drug. without en-
tering the record upon his death book"
Goes SO IT. defiance OF law. Yet we know
that many druggists do carry on this
unlawful trade. Even II the law rega T.
ing the retail sale of drugs was observed
TO the letter. that would not prevent the
man or woman who wanted the stimuiant
from getting II. Whoever wants these
drugs can buy them without let or hin
drance from the wholesale drug houses.
Here the buyer is assumed to be retail
druggist. and no questions are asked.
the law does not touch this sale OF drugs.
and In this manner a large number Of
those addicted TO drugs get their supplies
regularly. and they run no risks OF being
known. as they would in any retail store
in the neighborhood of their homes