The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-21

losing all the ennoblins qualities that gen
eialy distinguish man from the other mem
bers OF the animal creation. when he has
progressed thus far in what has now become
a disease he finds himself unable to check
the craze without imperling his life.
II he ceases TO use the drug he at once hnds
that his heart ceases to act properly and his
kidneys refuse to perform their functions.
His whole system is disorsaniEed and unless
he returns 10 the grasp Of the fend who has
enslaved him he finds himself In imminent
danger OF death, aud It Ia doubtful II. when
the evil has reached this degree. It can be
corrected without retirement TO an asylum
and Ions and systematic course OF treat
men,.
Those who are addicted to the use Of the
drug conduct their dissipation so secretly that
few are aware OF It. and that Is why the evil
has assumed such alarming proportions With
out attracting general attention.
Most OF its victims have become such innc-
Gently. The origin OF their trouble may, per-
/ haps, be found in ths use of the wine of coca,
which can be procured In any drug store and
\ is an article OF ordinary commerce. II lie
1 nothing moro than coca leaves soaked in
sherry wine and their baneful properties thus
| extracted and consumed, AS said before the
trouble may have grown from the use of Q
rateut' oatarrh remedy One illustration
viii give an idea Of the depths OF disgrace
into which the continued use OF cocaine may
cast its victim.
few years ago a physician In this CITY
was looked upon by, the members of his pro
tession as one OF the most fortunate OF men
He was hearty happy and wealthy lie en-
icyed a practice which brought him In year
~ income of between $50 200 and $4,000. Ill
occupied handsomely appointed offices In to-
most fashionable portion Of the city, Toda.
he is a ghost OF his former self lusterles
eyes, oadaverous face, graveyard oountenance
His practice is almose entirely gone III
handsome quarters are abandoned and he ha
sought humber accommodations In anothe
section Of the town, lie Is frequently oblige
! 70 refuse to see od-tmo patents who woul
stll cling to him What is the trouble? Go
came 1t has ensnared him. and 1t will neve
! release its sinuous grip until 1t has throttle
the very life out OF him, and when he wi
find death itself very boon.
~ y
4 Tut how does al this afieet our suppos
3
Before the narrator is confession of &C
caine victim who possessed sufficient INTEL
gence and sufficient possession OF a remnai
[ of his viii to describe the evil which athlete
him. He is a physician and his experient
/ was reported in scientific publications abol
tive years ago by a tellow-p practitioner
a medicine, A. H. springthorpe NJ D., of Me
bourne, Australia, After a graphic descril
tIcn of the symptoms and conditions of Il
e Gaze which had seized him, the afflicted phi,
It scian, in summarizing the physiological c
e fccts of the drug, used this language:
a lone syringe self-injected is, in my opnlo
It absolutely sure to produce the fascinatlI
desire for a second The individual Is q
II most certainly then a cocanist, and Will pr
l. crre the drug for self administration eY,
e when apparently it is impossible 10 do s
ID All watching Is useless lie has thousan
% OF excuses TO get moment TO himself, &c
e. esally IN the neighborhood OF some chemil
ID unscrupuous-eyep though still aware
ie some extent OF his ties--he will get II disho
ie estly if necessary, and even when not crawl
ie for 1t at the moment, he Will get 1t becau
his only idea is to have 1t with him. 7
20 sense of right and wrong is not abolished, i
IN he does not care much about tribes Th
n he sinks lower and lower, disregards his pl
sonal appearance, and BECAUSE they will
ways show, or sham to show. certain resp
u to his higher education, he seeks the assoc
lu ton of lower people lie thus becomes
'' seoupdrel or criminal and does not mind
A- do so so long as he gets his cocaine 1t is
hemely seldom that he makes a trial to 4
- himself of the habit mainly because he d.
" not see any reason to do So Suicide he ne
~ contewplates so long as he can get his
~ loved drug"
Now, do you see the connection between
ng individual in tho suppostional story and
ne cocaine victim? If that mythical personi
ny had become subject 20 the drug, his acts
ms wrong would no longer appear strange
unexplainabe.
But, bear in mind, this talk is all suppl
OF tlonal, aud II you apply It to anything
lfs have ever heard or read you lay maxi
uu mistake
It's And you may not.
ed Megarge
he .-.---zs.---
le New Portrait of Tennyson.