The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
PEOPLE WHO WANT POISON.
CALLS OF WOULD-BE SUICIDES At
CONVENIENT DRUG STORES.

| Morphine the Drug Most Sought After by
Those Who Desire to Die Quickly and
PIeasantly-A Lunatic's Quest for Prussic
| Acid-A Victim of tho Smokeless Gun.
II was a wet nasty night and when the man
who wanted To wait for a entered the drug
store the corner he found the druggist with
his face hattened az ainst the window, looking
out at the wet pavement Seating himself on a
stool in front Of the soda fountain the stranger
. looked about the store, and then as the druggist
did not seem inclined 70 talk he said, Rotten night,
isn't it," An emphatic nod and a fierce scowl
on the part Of the druggist made 1t plain where
he stood on the weather, but at the same time
did not tend 10 make conversation easy. Both
the druggist and the stranger silent for several
minutes, and the latter wishing that his
would put in an appearance when the door opened
and a young fellow. apparently in an advanced
stage Of intoxication, staggered in.
Apparently unmindful of the presence OF a third
party, the new arrival turned toward the druggist
and said, doc, femme have half dollars worth
Of ammunition for the smokeless gun, will you?
I'm in hurry, too"
The druggist got something in tho back part
OF the store which he gave to the customer Just
before reaching the door the young fellow stopped,
turned and said: II you don't mind, Doc, guess
I'll throw in dose in the back room" With
out waiting for permission to be granted he stag
gered into the back room and in about ten minutes
came out ag ain Tho change that mad been worked
in his appearance wonderful. He no longer
staggered halted In his speech The dull
look in his eyes had changed to Of itful bright
ness, and he seemed to have secured new lease
Of life As he walked toward the front OF the
store he stuck something bright in the lapel OF
his coat and as this turned back the stranger
could see several small, bright objects threaded
through the young mans coat Buttoning up
his coat as he walked toward the door, the young
man laid his hand on the latch and stood finger
ing il a moment That was the time you saved my
life, sure enough Doc" he said This smoke
less gun game has the pipe beaten. II costs more,
but it's better in a good many ways But you
have got TO carry the gun with you all the time,
SOS to be able to throw in charge in hurry,
! or you're dead one This much'n probably
last until tomorrow but want some more then,
for I'm going out Of town Going to be open
all night? Well. matter I'll look In in the
morning"
| What Is the smokeless gum" said the drug
gist, anticipating the question Of the man on the
| stool "Oh, that's the name applied to the ny
podermic syringe by drug users. That young
fellow you Just heard the term Is a CO.
| caino fiend When he came in he was a wreck
| from lack Of it. but you saw how quickly il put
him in shape again That's the great attrao-
erful in it's stimulating action that majority
of the dopers prefer it TO anything else. But
when the breakdown comes, II comes without
| warning A mans knees will go in and he will
drop without any warning symptom. That's
| the time TO quit and quit in hurry. That young
fellow started using the stuff for hay fever Hay
fever's pretty bad. but he had better have taken
| chances on II than start with the cocaine
Perhaps you noticed that he said II was ex-
| pensive. That is Just the trouble. II isn't
There was a time, a few years ago that the stuff
cost so and 60 cents grain. There were not many
| fiends using II then. In fact, knew Of but one
! She doctors wife, and her indulgence in the
habit cost him his practice. II were to tell you
| how many hundreds Of dollars worth Of the stuff
! she used In year you'd probably think J was
eHaggeratng, so won't risk II, but It would take
| four figures to express it. There wasn't a square
| inch Of the surface Of her body which she could
reach but what bore one or more scars, showing
where the hypodcrmic needle had been inserted.
This young fellow that rust went out is getting in
| the same shape. His arms and legs are masses
of sears. He carries the needles or points for his
syringe stuck in the lapel Of his coat and the
syringe is in a silver mounted case The pride
taken in the cost and beauty Of their outfits by
some Of the iends is astonishing"
! "Iie said you had saved his life" vcnturcd the
stranger What did he mean by that"
That's question" answered the druggist
| "Iic might have meant that he would have tried
suicide If he had been unable TO get the drug, or
referred To II in the same way that one sometimes
hears a man speak Of having his life saved by
some buying drink. But at that it was
probably an even break. When man is in that
condition he apt not to put end to himself.
and | suppose that every druggist might pose as
life-saver looking at il in that light Why, il
onetenth of the people that come into a drug store
and ask for poisons were to get what they
wanted the coroners arms would grow tired OF
making out certificates of death from suicide
"To the average man who gets the notion Of
suicide in his head shooting or drowning seems
too harsh a means of self destruction. and tho
general run of people have more or less confused
idea of the easy death that follows the taking of
certain kinds Of poison, they make break for the
, nearest drug store Of course no druggist will
sell any sort Of poison without making strict in
qurics 10 what II is TO be used for and that is
usually enough to make the average wouldbe
suicide change his mind Morphine is the favorite
| heard Of the delightful ease with which a person
taking il goes to sleep and promptly conceive the
idea that while life has ceased 70 be worth living
there is objection to leaving ii in the pcasanest
| manner possible. Such people are easy. They
wouldn't know morphine In bulk from quinine,
and il they finally succeed in obtaining an en-
! velope with red label, bearing the word poison,
and skull and crossbones, they fiater themselves
on having deceived the druggist "a, and 60 away
comfortable bed to die in they take their little
dose Of quinine express disgust at its bitter taste
| go to sleep waiting for death to come, and wake
| up in the morning glad TO find that the poison
was not powerful enough One such lesson is
| sufficient
Once in while We have a call for some other
sort Of poison. II was only a few weeks ago that
an elderly gentleman came In and asked for a
! quantity Of prussia acid. Now, we would never
| think Of letting anything Of that nature go over
the counter except on prescription, and, besides
, there If scarcely ever any call for II otherwise
! While | was talking with the old gentleman a
/ younger man came IN in great hurry and asked
| what the older man wanted AS the younger
man seemed To he an attendant of some sort
| told him. He was pretty well frightened when
he heard. and went on 10 tell me that the old man
| was in queer mental condluon The two had been
! out walking. and while the younger mans atten-
/ uon had been diverted the old man had succeeded
! IN GLIDING him and come into the store where he
| had been found.
"One case do remember when really think
! did prevent n suicide ! remember II not only
| from the prominence Of the wouldbe suicide, but
from the fact that unlike the ordinary run Of peO-
, pie n n similar mood, he was grateful for my in
tcTcst displayed IN his behalf, II was matter Of
| five or SIX years ago The year Of the Chicago
! Enir in W rat Their n laV. and