Barton County democrat., 1902-07-11
TO CHECK THE COCAINE HABIT
Illinois Druggists Appeal to LegisIa-
ture to Help Abate the
Growing Evil.

Alarmed by the rapid spread of the
cocaine habit in Chicago and the at
tendant demoralizing consequences,
druggists of the city, allied with others
from over the state, have begun con-
certed movement against the promlscu-
Gus sale of the drug. The legitimate
dealers are unanimously of the opinion
that legislative action is necessary to
regulate the present reckless 'dlstr1bu-
tion of cocaine, and the matter received
no little attention at the recent
meeting of the Illinois Pharma-
ceutical association at Jacksonville. n
resolution was passed which faVors
transferring the present law govern
ing the matter from the civil to the
pharmaceutical code. In this way, says
the Chicago Tribune, it is believed the
sale of cocaine by unscrupulous deal
ers could be better regulated and the
evils resulting from too general use
of the drug reduced to minimum.
One of the leaders of the movement
looking to legislation for the curbing
of the traffic is Walter 81. Gale, of Chi
cago, president of the state associa-
ton.
''I do not pretend to be conversant
with the details of the trade" says Mr.
Gale. Reputable pharmacists do not
engage in it. But we all know that
there are many disgraces to the profess
sion who make large profit thereby.
The evil results are enormous, espe-
cially in the case of cocaine, which is
the most deadly of all these drugs.
cit is true that there is a law on
the statute book prohibiting the sale
except on prescription, but it is inef-
fective. Druggists who know their
customers have nothing to fear. If
questioned it is easy for them to say
that they sold the stuff on prescrip-
ton, which prescription they have not
preserved. 1t is probably impossible
actually to eliminate the evil by 1egis-
lation, but something can be done to
curb it. Ny idea is to procure the pas
sage of law something like that in
force in Pennsylvania. According to
it, it is an offense to sell deleterious
drugs to any one known to be addicted
to their use, 'fiends,' in fact Further
more, any friend or even acquaintance
of the fiend, can notify the drug stores
in the locality, and if the druggists
persist in selling to the fiend, on pre-
scription or otherwiseahe can be pun
ished''
A high pharmaceutical authority,
questioned on the subject, said:
''The cocaine fiend has no morals
He neither knows the meaning of
truth nor comprehends the rights of
property. He will never hesitate to
steal anything he may lay his hands on
in order to procure the drug. The men
tai effects are peculiar and erratic
I once knew an intelligent young man
who became addicted to the habit. He
was able to do his regular work all
right, but outside of that he relapsed
into almost idiocy. This, / understand,
was a typical case The physical effects
include emaciation, debility, and un-
earthly pallor. An ever present symp-
tom is a peculiar, CLASSY stare.- The
effect of cocaine on the eyes manifests
itself often in a remarkable manner
what is known as cocaine bugs symp-
toms somewhat similar to delirium
tremens. The drug acts on the pupils
and so interferes with vision. The vic
tim sees spots before his eyes, which, !,