Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-08
THE MORPHINE HABIT.

as Brought to Light by Recent Investiga-
ton.
New York Evening Post.
Dr. T. d. Crothers, of Hartford, Conn,
one of our foremost experts on ineb-
riety in all of its virulent forms, start
led the State Medical Association last
week with his paper, ''Morphinism
Among Physicians" He showed q sta
tistical report concerning the history
of more than 5000 physicians of the
Middle and Eastern States, q per cent.
of whom were using spirits or opium
to excess; and deduced the general in
ference that at least from to 10 per
cent. of all medical men are opium
inebriates.
This condition truly alarms the So
Geological student, whose Investigations
heretofore have been more vitality con-
cerned with the layman whose method
for procuring the narcotic was suppos-
ed to be secret.
Now, if physicians, knowing as they
do the dreadful consequences of NOR
phlnism, become addicted to the excess
sive use of narcotics, surely then every
possible means should be employed to
prevent the layman from acquiring the
baneful habit.
DR.. Crothers temporarily estimates
that there are in the United States
from 100000 to 10000 opiumists; that
from 80 to 60 per cent. of insanity is
due to narcotics; and that 40 to 80 per
cent. of all degeneracy and neurotic
diseases is attributable to these caus-
es."
1t is now well established that NOR
phinomania leads to hysteria, melan>
cholia, acute mania, and suicide. The
narcotic evil is doubly magnifled when
medical experts tell us that inebriate
tendencies are transmitted by heredity.
In fact, not only is intemperance trans
mitted, but inebriate parents also be-
get insane offspring. DR.. Fletcher
Beach records that out of 430 cases of
inebriety, 31.6 per cent bore idiotic
progeny. When then, as Lucy Hall Of
Brooklyn, shows, the hereditary trans
mission is vastly greater through wo-
men than men, we can hardly realize
the seriousness of female intemper-
ance, which unfortunately seems to be
rapidly increasing.
The abuse Of narcotics may be term
ed concomitant of modern civilization.
Investigators record the greatest num-
Der of suicides and homicides by sub
tie poisons in those countries where
intellectual growth is ripest The pro-
vince of this paper is too restricted to
consider the causes of morphinomania.
Suffice it to say that morphine and
opium are employed to such an excess by
laymen and phyieian5 as to breed a class
of physical, mental and moral degener-
ates.
There is one plain remedy; to en-,
force strictly and unequivocally the ex-
listing statutes aiming to make the pro-
curement Of opiates well-nigh impossi-
BILE, except by physicians prescriptions
in the event of illness. The penal code
of New York infiicts penalty upon any
apothecary emitting to label drugs or
labelling them wrongly; selling pois-
ons without registering the sale, ex-
cept upon written order Of practlcIne
physicians: selling poisons without
scarlet label and white letters; permit
ting the dispensing of drugs by any per-
son without at least two years appren-
ticeship; and refilling a prescription OF
opium or morphine. That the law Is
fiagrantly violated is manifest from the
report of the American Pharmaceutical,
Association Of 1897. II says: 1.-THE
American Pharmaceutical Association
should put itself on record regarding
the use of opium and cocaine We
might as well take the lead and do
something in the way of stopping as
far as is within our power the use of
narcotics, -. and to control the