The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-26
MANY DOCTORS DRUGS
ur<EyEsS OF THE PROFESSION
mn CROTHERS DECLARES.

81, Nav York state Medical Association con-
., in' ia con venton yesterday at tho Academy
,SoI.pes. The paper which excited the most
U'..,.,t vas DR. Crothers's essay upon Nor
.Tn,.n Among Physicians" In which he de-
pa that the use OF morphine 10 a growing
-m in the medical profession. and cited per-
",.oes calculated to move the lay mind to
.,.ns.. and distrust In the matter OF calling
Wv nossble morphine iend in the person OF
~. Doctor Discussion OF tho topic was pre-
wanted by lack OF tlme.
M. a,st paper OF the day was by DR.. George
N, Collar OF Monroe county. on The Necessity
", State Aid in the Treatment OF Pulmonary
T.hs,culosis" DR. Goler held that IN view OF
~. ..tent and growth OF consumption In this
cat. there should be established State hospit-
Il. ,or consumptives on tho same basis as tho
s,.,s hospitals and homes for the insane and
.rileptic. motion was made calling upon the
s,,,, TO establish hospitals for the care OF
I,,Ini.pt cases OF consumption. and was passed
Nv, close vote after some opposition.
IN his paper on Sanatorum Treatment at
uon. Tor Patient. Suffering from Pulmonary
Tnh,rculosis." DR.. s. A. Knopf OF this city.
ds.crbed the notifications OF treatment as
o,,r,ed ON in special institutions for consump-
tvs. N make 1t applicable to home treatment.
II. .gresd with the preceding speaker in hold
a,h., II ia impossible to treat the consump-
tive moor in accordance with the approved mod
avn mstbods except in special institutions sup
ported by the State.
DR. 7. D. Crothers OF Hartford. Conn. then
read his paper on "horphinism among Physi-
clans" DR.. Crothers was appointed in 1890.
chairman OF a committee to collect statistics OF
alcohol and opium inebriety among physicians
and his observations were based upon data OBJ
tainsd in his researches for that committee.
I'm the general history OF 3.244 physicians
residing in the Eastern and Middle States. and
in some OF the cities OF the Western States."
said he, "2l per cent. were found to be using
sprits or opiates to excess. Six per cent. OF
the number were addicted to the use OF NOR
mia or opium permanently. Besides this
number 10 per cent were using opium or other
drugs secretly. Fully 20 per cent. OF the 5000
odd persons. including the opium users. used
spirits In moderation. so termed.
In another study OF 10 physicians per
cent used opium or morphia and Q per cent.
were secret drug takers From my own
knowledge and from what have learned from
other ply scians believe that from to 10 per
cent are addicted to the use OF morphia and
other drugs either openly or secretly. This
conclusion 10 drawn from figures and shows
that from Q to 10 per cent at least OF medical
men are opium inebriates. That this is a con-
sentative estimate may be assumed from the
fact that all drug takers. and physicians in
particular. are secretive and conceal this habit.
particularly whore it implies weakness. as 10
almost Invariably the case. and reflects on their
standing In the community.
Dr. Elain states that large percentage OF
phJs clans suffer and die from sef-adm mis-
pnm sus other drugs Ss
transient disturbances. and later contract
serious organic diseases, the early drug taking
who. IN middle lie, or excessively neurotie or
peurasthenic, or who is rheumatic. or has
heart disease. neurtis or chronic gastritis, is
spirit or drug taken in early life.
Morphinsm among physicians is usually
needle. opium in the tincture and gum being
used less frequently, The effects are the
s ssmsi va Ghimn only in Intensity and
insbriate, switched into a parallel road
ait s,,ons . psrod Of uses of beer. wine
either secretly or openly. to opium. From this
a time MS career is one Of marked progressive
ward imbecity. low form OF chronic invalid
Ism follows and acute fatal ammations are
always impending The physician. who uses
manner. Except for an increasingly defective
memory and degeuerating ethical sense and
Of face, there lie little to Indicate his condition
The morphinomaniao shows great extremes OF
emotlon. at times being very laxative and
Indifferent, irritable or violent in his impu SOS
and speech. Morphinomania tends to acute
mania and suicide.
clans, Private insane asylums show a percent
age OF medical mon among the patients that Is
constantly growing larger. They are mostly
young or middie-aged men, and are largely de-
iusonal therapeutists who must do everything
or 3oung men who have
ana believe that through II will come the
physical millennium. The strain and stress OF
ms Iatter-day existence is partly responsible,
and have known many cases where morbid
curiosity has driven physic clans to the use OF
morphine Certainly 1t is one, OF the most
!ascihatlng and serious OF modern diseases.
I'm conclusion would say to all physicians.
and never use It at all except by the advice OF a
brother nhyslcian; Never prescribe opium for
s sneuro,c physician unless you are entirely
arue VIII serve the purpose. Finally. II you are
a ON OPIUM user, make every effort to stop at
Dr. Charles A!lng futile. Of New Haven read
npaper on "Albuminura: Its Prognostic yalue
Enr on,TTonic Nephrtis." Superintendent W. p.
sawyer \. y; made an address on "Cnrabiity
o, EplIemy." in which he advocated colony
tients s Iis 6 ana complete change OF the pa
NY Typhoid fever was the subject of the after
H ,Tn uscpssion The first speaker was pr.
sGhec The Advanc" in Our KnoWied DE- q" OF
!!,SPh9d Fever He said: THE irghtfui pos
s,ouueS vet involved In the prevalence OF
NH uhnon FEVER were presented in the most lurid
,isnt during the SPANISH American war In
oHs ace o. MI m"der IN progress in The knowledge
81 tnls disease and Of the means OF preventing
H., ahn IN spite of the extraordinary advances
~ sanitary medicine, hundreds and thousands
a. 80 3ur soldiers sickened and died OF typhoid
With many returned homo while i'll. carrying
n Nv" y mem the Infection and spreading 1t broad
gu 90 t hc town' and villages and rural districts
s; H. ,mat hundreds and thousands OF others have
lection 'o 'o''t 40 ieSu'' vi 'hiS IN
Ut Dr, BigRs said that the rural districts suffer
inia, rom typhoid than the cities. because oil
con et r0o sewage and sanitation. He called for
S,njtan school courses in hygiene, better
vaot;Sy inspectors and advanced work In pre-
'.a The medicine in the medical schools
tba ~ bacterio'ogy Of Typhoid Fever" was
B{nalse o. the subject discussed by DR.. W
ino nSLL OF this city. He advocated protective
R,;e,tuihauoh which has been adopted in the
snao.sn army in India with little unpleasant
rs,w, 'oi.lowing the incubation and excellent
~ us OF preventive nature. The troops
~ gong from England to South Airica. he
;noa,rere being asked to volunteer for typhoid
u,uSvuiatlon and great mum her OF the soldiers
ppo innncnihted before sailing
.nt.In; Nllnam OSler OF Baltimore who Is a
III h'ai guest OF the association was received
~ "n nearly applause when III was introduced
o. o. TEpeak on the Subject OF Clinical DiaRnosis
rorynhold Fever" He spoke OF the many or.
s sprS n fever diagnosis made by the snecia
to'nS doctors in the late war and their ina bility
W recognize typhoid They waro conn =, H.