Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-02
WRECKED IN BODY AND MIND.
THE SAD CASE OF DR.. LAURIN, A
PHYSICIAN OF MUCH PROMISE.

Helpless as a babe, his mind apparently
shattered. and unable to recognize his
friends, DIR. Laurin, who was removed from
the city to the county Jail on Saturday
evening, presents a truly pitiable spectacle.
only a few months ago he was returned
from Warm Springs, where he spent sew
eral months in the hope that he might be
permanently cured of the morphine habit.
He was considerably improved when he re-
turned, but he relapsed into his old habits
ana is now a physical and mental wreck.
He is a graduate of a celebrated medical
college, is well connected, and up to a few
years ago gave promise of becoming one
of the leading physicians of the city. He
will have an examination in a day or two
as to his sanity and will probably be re-
committed to Warm Springs.
The unfortunate man has been addicted
to the drug for years. Several times he
has attempted to shake off the bondage.
! AS he himself stated, he wished to be free,
but his physical suffering would drive him
back to the drug again when he attempted
to break it off. During the first year of his
residence in Butte he spoke frequently of
his failing, and appeared to be apprehen-
sive that it would at one time wreck his
mind.
Like many another unfortunate" he
said to the writer, Il contracted the habit
during my college life. / began with the
more easily obtained. l had perused De
Quincy's Confession of An Opium-Eater,"
and the glamor of his sentences and the
beauty and forcefulness of his style made
such a lasting impression upon me that I
decided to make a voyage of my own
aboard the dream ship" and taste for
myself the strange rapture and ecstacy
which, according to the author of the ar
ticle, this strange Oriental drug has the
power to produce. Its effects were delight
full beyond EXPRESSION. and from that time
| was a constant devotee at the shrine OF
the god "Madjoon." l was all the time
looking for an excuse to take it. l battered
myself that with my will power | could
keep the upper hand of the insulating
drug, but ! soon discovered ! was lost. 1t
was the same old story; l was a slave
bound hard and fast, hand and foot.
My first attempt to free myself from the
bondage of the drug was made when l lrst
became aware of the fact that | was be-
coming a slave. The attempt was abortive.
The agony and distress produced by alb
stinence from the drug was frightful. For
two days | quit. and those two DAYS l was
longer l should have either died or gone
mad. 1t is impossible to describe the in
tense feeling of distress, the wild, insane
restlessness and gnawing pains which ac-
companied every attempt to leave off or
even reduce the accustomed dose. Then L
arrived at the conclusion that | could never
hope to rid myself Of the habit.
'"Then / switched off to gum opium and
the habit if anything seemed to have grown
stronger. l experimental upon myself
with drugs, and literally inoculated myself
with various poisons which | hoped might
antidote the morphine. All such attempts
were failures. l secured unlimited guam
titles of %strychnia. India hemp, Cannibls
Indica and cocaine, and the ADDITION OF
these drugs greatly accelerated my down
ward progress. l know both my mind and
body are failing, but there seems to be no
help for me. Some day l know l will drop
off like the other poor miserahie VIct,Hs
of the habit, but l cannot help it. ! only
hone that my body will go first, FOR l
dread the thoughts of an insane asylum