The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-04-21

imminent danger Of death, and II is doubt
fuI II. when the evil has reached this degree
1t can be corrected without retirement TO an
asylum aud long and systematic course Oh
treatment.
drug conduct their dissipation so secretly that
few are aware Of 1t, and that Ia why the evil
has assumed such alarm ing proportions
without attracting general attention. Most
The origin of their trouble may, perhaps, be
found in the use OF the wine OF coca, whicn
can be procured In any drug store. and is an
article Of ordinary commerce. IL is notnlng
more than coca leaves STEPPED In sherry
wine. and their baneful properties thus eX-
tracted and consumed. AS said before, the
trouble may have grown from the use ol
a "patent" catarrh remedy. One Illustration
will give an idea Of the depths OF disgrace
Into which the continued use of cocaine may
cast It's victims. A few years agoa physician
in this city was looked up TO by members OF
his profession as one OF the most fortunate OF
men. He was hearty. happy ana wealtny.
He enjoyed practice which brought him In
a yearly income of between twenty thousand
and twenty-five thousand dollars: He occu'
pied handsomely appointed offices IN the
most fashionable portion Of the city. Today
he is a ghost OF his former self; lustreless
eyes, cadaverous face, graveyard contenance.
His practice is almost entirely gone. HIS
handsome quarters are abandoned. and he
has sought humber accom- modations IN
another section Of the town. He is frequently
obliged to see old-tme patients, who would
still cling to him. What is the trouble? Co.
caine. II has enSnared him, and IL wi never
releass its snuous grip until II has throttled
the very life out OF him, and when he VIII
find death itself very boon.
Reputable druggists so deeply realize their
responsibility and the extent to which the
evil has grown that they will no longer
furnish cocaine except upon physician s
prescription. But the devotees OF the pract.
ice find little difficulty In obtaining the pec-
cessary scrawl from some thoughtess or ir-
Responsible graduate Of medicine, who may
possibly be only the acquaintance OF mo-
ment and known merely through the champ
ionship of bar room. The class Of pharma-
csts referred TO however. are united In hoping
that in this State. as well as in others, legisla-
tive action will be taken that will prevent
this insidious poison from being dealt In with
az much freedom, TO use the expression Of one
OF them. "as brown sugar in corner gro
cery.' Referring edltorially TO this phase OF
the subject, the Druggists Circular and Chem
ical Gazette says:
All reputable druggists may be expected to
cordially favor such movement wherever IT
may take form. And now that the note of
alarm has been SO strongly sounded they may
be expected to exercise renewed care as to the
chance of placing in the hands of q lay custo-
mer drug which Is none too sale even In the
hands of the physician. And this warning
may be extended to the parent drug, the use
of which, especially in wines, has become po-
pular during late years, and Is asserted to be
on the Increase. 1t must always be borne In
mind that the use Of any drug Of this nature