The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-28

bad Effect OF the Drug When Habit
uaIIy Used.
P~hiladelnhia Times

Its great LANCER lies in its habitual use
a. a stimulant, which leads to the formation
OF the cocaine habit and all its attending
evils. ~
These evils cannot be more strongly re-
Veaied than in the experience of an Aus
uailan physician who was referred to in
oGr hrst chat on this subject. He has
gwen the world OF medicine the benefit
OF a narration OF what he underwent
moef c me mad become addicted to the al
course OF that confession, which ne aid
1ot hesitate to make public, he said. in
describing his sensations: '"The first feel
InS a c~ocainist has Is an indescribable ex-
cltement to do something great; TO leave
a mark But, alas! this disappears as
ISPiuly as IL came, and soon every part
OF the BODY seems to cry out for a new
syringe. The second sensation at first.
at least. no Authorization = is that his
nearing Is enormously increased, so that
ne hears the flies walking over the paper.
very soon every sound begins to be q re-
mark about himself, mostly of a nasty kind.
anu ne begins to carry on a solitary
me: MS only companion being his beloved
syringe. Every passer-by seems to talk
about him. Often and often have I stopped
persons or ordered the police to arrest them
thlnklng they We're talking about me. After
a relatively short time begins the hunting
or the cocaine bug You imagine that in
your SKIN worms or similar things are NOV
ing along. If you touch them with wool
especially absorbent WOOD they run away
OF some corner to see If there is any danger.
Ihese worms are projected only to the CO.
0AAAAT = ONh DtISOU OF ClOJDlnR. he secs
them on his washing, in his skin. creeping
along MS penholder, but not on other people
or Things and not on clothes brought clean
Planned! About the same time appear MANY
other authorizations of the ~opticus. and.
strange to say, s~elf-suggested hallucinations
also. Night turns to day. You sit UP in
your room Swinging until the morning. and
then fall asleep in a coma. In my case this
eDonfded 10 such an extent that l had to
engage a hospital warder, who came in the
morning to revive me with about ten sy-
rlngeS or 0 per cent. solution, so that I was
able TO drive. not walk, fearing some one
nations l had in thousands, all of a persecut-
ing character. and frightening the life out of
You Will see animals running about YOUR
body n feel their bites. Every object
seems to become alive to stare at you from
all corners-look, revolvers, knives, ETC., and
threaten you: Yet, so soon as the effect
OF the infection is over you laugh at it,
and produce willingly, by a new Injection.
thasame terrors. About hat time ] bought
thNe ST. Bernard dogs. thinking they would
protect me, but one night L found out they
were talking about mellow they could get
rid OF me-so L stood up and shot one OF
them with q revolver. which L always used
to carry. L think this was the most dread
full night of my. life-I standing on the ia
BILE with an Indian dagger and a syringe on
the ground, one three-foot-high dog going
TO die and two rather dangerous dogs roar
ing and grooming aloud, reproachfully look
ing at me. who always fanc!ed Now comes
the moment when they will tear you to
licNtS. SlOOU Tie night on the
wardman. who hardly risked to enter
the room. The strangest thing, however, in
the cocaine habit is that there seems to be
two souls in the cocainist-one infested by
the cocaine, suffering and tortured by its
effects; the other normal, laughing at his
fears and saying: What nonsenSe! it is
only an hallucination produced by an in
lection Not frightened enough by these
experiences and escaping from the troubles
produced by his conduct, on the c~ocainist
goes, taking more and more, and then en-
ters a new kind of Illusion, which finishes
him up for the madhouse. / mean the re-
voting, Sensuous Illusions"
The afflicted physician in summarizing
the physiologic effects of the drug. says
that the cocainist early loses all appetite
for solid food, but likes sweets, lollies and
cakes. Upon the muscular system the
drug, as Is generally recognized. acts as
a most powerful stimulant for either sin,
he make long marches without becoming
tired, but on one occasion, after injection,
he says he lifted a cab with one hand on
the axle. II increases also the number
OF the respiratory and of the heart con-
fractions. as well a the amount of sweat;
hence the great loss of weight, After
each injection the pupil dilates, but re-
mains dilated only because injections are
continued. AS regards the brain. mental
processes seem quickened. but a kline of
hypnosis i~ntervenes, so that the. brain
works without, and even against. the will.
Immediately after the injection the cocain-
list becomes excited and remains restless
while under the influence. He likes man.
ual work. however trifling, but has neither
will nor ability for mental work.
AS to cocaine displacing hydrate of
choral, 1t is only necessary TO state that
the latter drug is simply a narcotic, with
resulting effects in its use or abuse SINH
lar to those resulting from the employment
of opium. Vim Mariani is a vinous decoc-
ton of cocaine, and when used intelligent
~, as has been practically already stated
in a reference to coca wine, may be OF
service for a time as a stimulant to both
the digestion and the nervous system.