The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-06
FIGHT COCAINE INDUSTRY.
Georgia Legislature Has Taken VI
an All Absorbing Topic.

GeOrS1a mus VI
an All Absorbing Topic.
A bill introduced in the lower branch
of the Georgia Legislature last week
to restrict the sale of cocaine, has at
tracted considerable attention. and will
probably be passed. The cocaine habit
is one that is attracting particular at
tention at this time, and 1t appears
that the drug has been used to an ex-
tent in Georgia.
While it is not used to any
alarming extent in Savannah, it has
victims here, some of whom have
reached the stage where their craving
for this subtle and destructive form of
drunkenness is no secret. These poor
creatures are objects of pity and. be-
cause of the use of the drug, have be-
come physical wrecks. They can no
longer conceal their weakness, al
though one of them stated recently
that cocaine could be used by some
for long period without any one be-
coming any the wiser.
A well known London authority, in
discussing a subject that is attract
ing worldwide attention, and one that
is considered highly important, says:
Cocaine injection has firmly estab-
lished itself in London, not among the
common people, but among the clever
est men and women. It can be carried
on so secretly that for time even the
nearest friends of the drunkard have
no suspicion of it. 1t has none of the
responsiveness of ordinary intoxication.
Doctors are its chief victims, writer's
and politicians come next, and the
more artistic the temperament the
greater the peril this new habit pre-
sents.
Cocaine injection is, without ques-
ton, the most dangerous and
subtle form of inebriety known.
phinomania is comparatively harm
less. 1t grows on one with amaz-
ing rapidity, and gives little or no
warning of the harm it is doing until
the eVll is accomplished almost beyond
recall. With most narcotics YOU have
quick presage of coming evil. Let the
average man inject a dose of morphia
and he will find the temporary ease
followed by excruciating headache. by
raw nerves, and by fearsome depres-
sion OF spirits. But with the cocaine
at hrst there is none of this. You feel
young and vigorous again. Pain is
deadened. The things that troubled
you seem swept out of your life You
have sense of self satisfaction, of
buoyancy, of ease, and of pleasure. In
the normal man or woman there is
often at first no great reaction, al
though in this, as in every nerve poi
son, the effects differ according to in
dividual temperament
But the pleasure passes off very
quickly, even more quickly than with
opium, and the victim is almost inev-
itably driven to renew the injection.
In many cases from twelve to twenty
doses are before long taken in single
day."
The first harmful result seen is often
enough not physical, but moral. Co
caine, even more than morphia, de-
stroys the moral sense. The cocaine
t1end does not become violent or brutal.
On the contrary, he seems more gentle
and more refined than ever before. His
artistic perceptions are in every way
quickened. But though he has hitherto
been scrupulously honest, he will now
often steal without shame. He often
seems to forget the meaning OF truth.
1t is yet a moot point with psycholo-
gists how and why this destruction of
the moral sense is accomplished.
Many of the cases of kleptomania
which excite so much surprise. and
many of the unaccountable crimes
among well-to-do people, are solely due
to this. AS one Savannah druggist put
it recently, when a person comes in
here and asks for cocaine or morphia
or choral. l, of course, fill in the doc
tors prescription. This is my business.
But l take care to keep a close eye on
that customers fingers all the time he
is in the shop, The cocaine fiend will
steal anything if he thinks he can do
it unobserved. If you let him get into
your debt he will never pay you"
This is only the beginning. The NOR
al effects are after time followed by
very decided physical ones. First
comes understandable depression of spir-
it's, sleeplessness, distaste for food.
This as often enough followed by COM
plete mental breakdown, sometimes by
suicide. So much has the habit grown
that a new industry has sprung up
in England during the past few years.
the establishment of homes for we'll
| to-do narcotsts. These homes are
not usually registered under any act.
Many of them do not advertise, but
are supplied with patients by their
private connection of doctors. 9th
ers advertise as regularly in medical
papers as great hotels do in ordinary
! organs.
The coacine habit inevitably means
| death if persevered in. If the victim
! tries to conquer it. him or herself,
| failure is the most likely result. But
| by placing himself under the absolute
| control of a stronger will. cure can be
| had. 1t is a commonplace that while
men drunkards are very often reform
| ed, the reclamation of confirmed
inebriate woman is very rare. But in
drug taking this is completely reserv-
| ed. 1t is very much easier to reclaim
| a woman narcotic than a man, only
once the habit is really established a
cure comes seldom.