The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-01
THEY ARE SLAVES TO TUE DRUG.
Negroes Addicted to COcaine-How
They Take 1t and How 1t Acts on
Them

Them.
From the Kansas City Star.
please, Mistah. give me 10 cents wuf
of SNUFF; dat whtte snuff wot nanny
uses"
little negro boy stood on tiptoes in a
North End drug store and tried 10 get his
chin on the counter. Then he reached
up his right hand, but his fingers in his
mouth and took out two nickels which
he deposited on the counter This little
boy is regular patron of the drug store.
He makes known his wants in the same
words every day, and often visits the
store several times during the day ac-
cording to the state of mammy's finances.
Before the boy has ceased speaking the
druggist takes a bottle labeled cocaine"
from the shelf, The drug is in crystalized
form, having the appearance of a fine,
while powder. From three TO five grains
are measured out. wrapped in a piece of
paper and handed to the boy. Nanny is
waiting eagerly for her sons return. She
lays the end of her finger on the white
powder and the few small crystals that
cling TO the dusky finger are used in the
same manner as snuff
There may not be enough fuel in the
house to make fire the next morning end
no washings in sight for the rest of the
week. but those things do not trouble her
when she has her snuff" Ali serious
thoughts of the future are crowded out
by dreams Of peace and plenty.
Other mammies send ether little boys
on similar errands. Little boys them
selves, after wondering at the effect OF
the drug on mammy's spirits, learn to use
il. and the number of men and women,
old and young, white and black, in Kan
sas City, who fall under the subtle power
of cocaine is growing at a startling rate,
according 10 the sta tements of North
End druggists.
The continual increase in the price OF
the drug will NOT restrict it's use neither
win ordinances passed by the city govern
ment have any effect, the druggists say
The city licenses the sale of drugs and
cannot pass laws to prevent II. Nothing
short of a stringent state law Will in The
opinion of some dealers, discourage the
use OF cocaine, and some even doubt
whether legislation will prove effective.
The cocaine habit is growing through
out the South and West Inthe South
ern states II is the negroes who are most
ly addicted 10 It's use. New Orleans and
other large cities In the South have found
II necessary to pass laws for the suppress
sion of the cocaine traffic. In New Or
leans negroes make a business of peddling
the drug in the streets, and similar con-
ditions will prevail in Kansas City soon
If restrictions of some kind are not adopt
ed. Negroes have been known here to
buy dollars worth at a time and resell
1t in small quantities a good profit but
the practice has not become general The
apothecaries have discouraged the system
by refusing to sell in large quantities.
Then again, the slaves of the drug can
buy 1t in small quantities a the stores
much cheaper.
The druggist would welcome legislation
against the traffic i'm cocaine There is
little, If any. profit in it," said one on
West Fifth street. 81 do not like TO sell
It, but If l don't, the users will get II
somewhere else.
The growing use of cocaine is causing
morphine TO become literally, a drug on
the market. Cocaine has q peculiar eff
feet that morphine does not produce. II
not only soothes pain, but causes entire
forgetfulness of mental troubles which
give way to feeling OF complacency and
amiability with life in general. This ef-
feet is only temporary and is followed bv
greater depression OF spirits than the vic
tim of the cocaine habit experienced be-
fore taking the drug. Deprived of the
drug, its slaves become wretched. They
VIII sell their clothes from their backs
and even steal to obtain it.
II have had them come to me without
money, Salu druggist. and cry md
beg for little OF the white POWDER"
From three to five grains of cocaine
costs 10 cents. The wholesale nrioa re-
Gently went from s. to 81 an ounce Ne
groes who are addicted to ii spend nearly
everything they make for cocaine Those
in the advanced stages of the habit viii
use from 81 to SO worth a day When n
takes a dollars worth to satisfy them
they are classed as ''hends." The most
common method of using the drug is I'm
the form of snuff. Many have their faces
disfigured from the frequent application
Of the drug to the nostrlls The snuff acts
as a powerful irrtant sometimes on sensi-
tive membranes. To overcome this effect
some of the cocaine slaves mix 1t with
boracic acid. which Is a counter-irritant
and prevents disiguration.
The end also serves to increase the bulk
Of the white stuff as It is called
Another form in which cocaine is used
is In large, black gummy spheres. ball
OF cocaine in this form costs from $40 TO
Sl2 and the victim cuts Off q piece and
eats II to satisfy his cravings As the
years roll on, the craving becomes
stronger; II takes more TO satisfy the
needs Of the wrecked physique and the de-
mands on the cocaine supply in the North
end drug stores increase. The subtle and
powerful poison is steathily and persist
entity extending The circle Of it's Influence
and daily adding to the number of it's
slaves