The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-11
HOW IT GRIPS ITS VICTIMS
Cocaine, the Deadly Drug, Whose Influence Carries Men to
Insanity and Death, Is Becoming Abarmingly
Popular in the United States.

broken. Later It Is almost hopeless for
the victim to try and sunder his chains.
Begun I'm many cases in a legitimate
a as an ~anesthetic. the surprisingly
pleasant effect Is sough for again by
the n who has had a glimpse at the
portals of the elysium. This is the be-
ginning of the terrible habit. The eff
feet is a sense Of exhileration followed
by a quiet dreamy state that causes
the worried man TO forget his troubles
and the sufferer his pain. Once this
freedom from physical and mental sick
ness has been experienced. the cocaine
nend Will rob or kill to get the drug.
Enforced non-use of IL will not cure tho
victim. Sentence him to a term of i'm
prisonment. and he will go straight
from the Jail door to the nearest drug
store TO ecu cocaine before he ats
or sleeps.
This. of course. cannot last. From an
occasional use OF the drug TO Unsuitable
craving il the rational course OF the CO.
caine fiend. From thence to the insane
asylum n the grave is n swift and
easy descent.
In his fall from health TO physical
and mental disintegration the cocaine
fiend undergoes a terrible experience.
When not I'm the temporary HEAVIER that
the drug provides. the victim Is II the
lowest depths of an Inferno. He is sub
1ect to apprehensions, decisions and
Authorizations. He suffers from insom-
mia, anorexia and gastralgic pains, dys-
pepsia, chronic palpitations and will
paresis. He Is n terror both to himself
and others. The life of the man is a
living death, he knows e.. and
with this knowledge staring him in
the face. he rushes for the drug and
is happy for n brief period under it's in
iuence. IL is time something were done
to keep from this high-strung nation a
AHaaav 30 1AnIlWv lA ..G4
men have recommended its exclusion
from the country. believing that it's
use medically should be foregone rather
than that such n cursed temptation
should be placed in the way OF weak
humanity.
What the real action of the drug is,
n how TO counteract it's influence.
are at present puzzling questions to the
medical fraternity. A leading member
of the profession to whom these ques-
lions were put replied after careful
consideration as follows: Its physiol-
ogical action II practically unknown.
AS an analgesic. IL is uniform i'm it's
action, and this is due To the suspension
OF the physiologic functions of the SEN
sorry cells which IL comes i'm contact
with. Beyond this. II Is an excitant of
the cerebro-spinal axis. later IL has a
peculiar action IN the encephalon. man
ifest I'm n wide range of phychicai phe-
nomena. Beyond this "A great variety
Of widely variable symptoms appear.
In some cases all the intellectual facul-
ties are excited to the highest degree.
In others "A profound lowering of the
senses n functional activities occur.
Morphine-takers can use large quaint
ties of cocaine without any bad symp-
toms. Alcoholics are also able to bear
large doses without danger. Not un-
frequently the excitement caused by
cocaine goes on to commissions and
death. Sometimes it's action is localized
to one part of the cerebro-spinal axis.
and then TO another. In some cases we'll
marked cerebarl anemia appears. and
for n time is alarming. but soon passes
away. Few cases of death are recorded
from an overdose, as they are compara-
lively rare, n the poisonous states
which follow, usually give way to APP