The sun., 1897-01-18
sTRrCHNIyE FIENDs.
They Become Abio 60 Take y Quantity SsE
acient 60 KIN Ten Persoas.

from Rdrsons Weekly.
new kind OF patient can shortly be looked
for at tho golc-cure establishmept-the victim
OF the strychnine habit. We have had the CO.
caine fend. the morphine fiend. tho slave Of tho
hnsheesh drug. and the wretched mortals whom
The straugest victim to drugs of an exces-
sively stimulating nature. however. is tho
ieai science as a deadly poison. but when under
medical direction 1t acts as n powerful tonic.
greatly stimulating tho hearts action. So DOW
infnitesimai proportion is allowed in n tonic
prescription. fetit has been seized upon by the
stimulating the fickerIng spark of life. and
strychnine jag" can he added to the hilarious
mGments that nerve smashing drugs afford.
The discovery OF the strychnne 1end was
Whose mission takes him nightly into tho so
dark side. This missionary recently found
sas nn one morning the form o, Ieil;dressed
taken TO one OF the institutions in connection
with which the missionary worked. and doc.
some kind or other. The usual remedies were
applied but the dcathlike palior OF the patients
the doctor. and he ordered her her clothing 10 o Dc DO
searched 10 obtain a clue TO guide him in his
eGorts tss 70 bring her 70 gsne
tie containing a few pellets which upon invcs-
tigation. proved 20 contain enough strychnine
from an overdose OF strychnine. and the drug
had done its work we'll. IL was with the great
est dinculty that her life was saved and for
days following this she cried pitifully for the
deadly tonic that was withheld from her. From
her own statement. and the doctor and those
present believed II. sho had begun by taking a
very small portion of strychnine. and. as tho
craving for the drug increased. had added to her
impunity quantity sufficient to kill ten people
who were unused to poison.
A reporter who visited tho chemists shops in
the district gathered some add itional particu-
stated that the poison book in which entries arc
made of all deadly drugs sold showed n STEADY
Increase in the amount OF strychnine consumed.
1t Is quite evident that the now stimulant is
recklessness OF the fends' is sure to result in
some fatality unless druggists decline to sell
strychnine altogether. Those addicted to its
use buy II in pellets. and tho dose they take is
regulated by themselves. The seasoned hands
are able to take an enormous quantity without
doing any more than quickening tho beating OF
their dying hearts and stimulating their jaded
nerves. but those 10 whom the drug is q new
thing are likely to kill themselves with . COM
paratively small quantity.
have on my books tho names Of women
who are shining ornaments of society who sent
TO me for strychnine pellets with the stereo-
typed assertion that they are wanted to kill q
dying cat. The women who send for the poison
are without doubt victims OF the strychnine
habit. Then shall show you tho names of men
who arc regular customers for strychnine. In
their case the poison is taken to counteract tho
evil effects Of tobacco smoking. A person can
derive some benefit from taking stryc Gimme as
the stimulating action OF the one poison cou n.
toracts the scdative effects of the other. In
these cases the poison may be taken with somo
benefit. under medical direction. but with tho
ordinary fiend,' who merely takes il for the
pleasurabls sensation IL produces, the after
eject 10 bound TO be disastrous"