The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
VICTIMS OF COCAINE.
Their Number Is Increasing at q
Truly Frightful Rate.
How the Drug Is administrators
Ils Terrible Effects on 'Ae
Character and Habits ri
IS DrtUiets,

Especial Washington Letter.l
The temperance lecturers of the M
turr will be obliged 10 enlarge their
scope of vision. increase their store OF
facts and wage war against evils OF an
alarming nature concerning when the
general public at present knows prae-
tically nothing.
Scientist, in the National museum,
the Smithsonian institution, the med
zeal staff of the army and navy and the
health congress have collected facts
which demonstrate that the cocaine
habit Is becoming prevalent, and that
lis effects upon its victims are even
more dangerous than the effects OF al
cOhOl.
The best discoveries of medical sci
ence in all the ages have been alcohoi
and opium. Alcohol has stimulated
many "A sinking and dying man. CIV
ing him renewed lease Of life; so thai
surgeons and physicians have been En-
abled to bring the sufferers back 70
health. Opium has qnieted the PAIN
saved the body from its racEing ray
ages. and enabled the medical and sur
pjcaI attendants to apply restoratIN'S
which might have been unaNaIilug
without the aid Of the heart of the
poppy.
Eoth of these blessings of science
have been perverted. so that the vic
tins Of alcohol and of opium have COM
mitted crimes and dcbauched their own
careers, while spreading unhappiness
and misery throughout the world.
Mothers, wives and children have fallen
beneath the blows and curses of drunk
en- husbands and fathers, while whole
families have starved or gone TO the
~pOorhouse; while opium eaters and
morphine tiends have wasted their sub
stance, weakened their intellects and
dreamed themselves into d~ishonOrabIe
graves.
Another blessing of scientific discoy-
cry is now being perverted into "A curse
to humanity. The history of cocaine is
given briefly by a writer of ability and
distinction, and every lover of humanity
should knew that history, in order that
wise ~precaution, kindly foresight and
generous affection may provide against
the spread of the evil in our commun-
tiles. This latest blessing should be
used sparing!y and cautiously by ply
sictans. lndiscriminate resort to its
use may tend 20 disseminate the evil
habit which is already causing havoc
and dismay in happy homes.
Cocaine, like morphine, is a drug
capable of most beneficial results to
mankind, and it is only its abuse and
not its Intelligent use which produces
evil. 1t is a self extracted from cocoa
leaves. the product of a shrub that
grows wild in South America. The
virtues of the plant as a nerve stimu-
liant have long been known to the
Peruvian natives, who for many wears
attracted the wondering notice of trav-
eiers by the prolonged fatigue which
they We're enabled to endure hv simplv
chewing It's leaves. About 10 years ago
a young German physician called the
attention of the medical profession 10
the fact that a soluble combination of
cocaine with hydrochloric acid Dos
se"sed remarkable properties as a local
anaeSthctic. Ii was found that when
i.
this Was applied to the tip of the
tongue that portion of the ryan was
temporarily benumbed. a similar ex-
pertinent with the eye led to a like re-
SUIT 1t was found that upon the appli-
cation of a few drops of the solution
the oeilcate nerves OF sensation were
practically paralyzed and that the
most painful operations could be per-
formed without discontinue to the pa
tient. For awhile the drug was little