Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-30
TOWAR ON COCAINE
Vice Has Grown UNTIL IL Has Reacht q
Alarming Pre- pOr-
tiOnE.
USED FREELY IN ROCK ISLAND
State Pharmacy Board Has Instituted an
Active Crusade Against
Sale.


Island are increasing. Many men and
women are said to be confirmed co
caine fcnds." A prominent physician
said Yesterday that the prevalence o.
the dread habit in this city was not
realized by the public at large or even
the authorities. No steps have been
taken to enforce the law against the
drug. An active crusade has been
commenced by the Illinois state board
of pharmacy at Chicago TO eradicate the
dreadful vice of cocaine drunkenness.
Much vigor is being expended in gath
ering evidence and prosecuting the of
Tending members of the trade there.
1t is declared that the crusade will be |
carried throughout the state, including |
Rock Island.
1t is also promised that the fight in
augurated in Chicago will be duplicat- |
ed in all the larger cities of the coun- ,
try and it is to be national in its scope. |!
1t will not stop. the crusaders say. I'M |
til a uniform system of anti-cocaine
laws has been adopted and put into
force in all states, with national or
federal laws as the browning ach!ev-
ment.
All the literature published on the
subject in the journals of the drug
trade are uncompromisingly outspOkeH
on the complete and hasty suppress
sion and prohibition of the sale of
cocaine unless in Walls or upon the
prescription of licensed physicians or
dentists.
New Law Not Rigid Enough.
Under the state law of Illinois, only
the sales of cocaine and preparations
with cocaine as an ingredient are spe-
officially penalized in large sums. This
law was obtained from the last legisla-
| ture by the organization of pharma-
cists. Now it is contended by many
of the druggists that even the new law
is not rigid enough as it fails to give
the prosecutor the power to arrest
| offenders.
The procedure is by summons and
hearing in civil process. Many of the
most reputable druggists want to make
It a criminal offense for any person o.
| firm in the trade to sell the drug.
| These insistent advocates of a high
code of honor and an unsullied trade
escutcheon are clamoring for an
amendment of the present law so as to
| include not only the sale of cocaine.
but morphine also, and many, if not
all, of the other drugs set down in the
popular category under the general
name of dope
The motive for the activity of the
state board of pharmacy is not SO
much the imposition of heavy fines as
I+I~.o
gists' licenses. Under the law of 1903
the license of the druggist who sells
sells cocaine illegally is cancelled upon
a second conviction. 1t is in this pro-
vision of the new law that the prose
cutting committee of the pharmacists
association finds it's most affective
weapon in the warfare upon the ca
terers to the depraved cravings of the
cocaine fiends.
Worst of the Drink ScOurge.
Cocaine has been described by the
most expert of the worlds physicians
as the worst of the three great drink
scourges of humanity, alcohol and NOR
phine being the other two.
From being the dope" of the fash
iOnable people in many lands cocaine
has come in a few years to be the
''pauper's dope" in the special but
truest sense.
When cocaine drunkenness first be-
gan to curse the world it was used
chiefly as an. injection taken hypoder-
mically. And at first the practice or
habit of cocaine injection firmly es
tablished itself. not among the com
mon people, but among the cleverest
men and women. 1t can be carried on
so secretly that for a time even the
nearest friends of the drunkard have
no suspicion of it. 1t has none of the
responsiveness of ordinary intoxication
Cocaine injection is, without ques
ton, the most dangerous and subtle
forIh OF inebriety known. Compared
with it. even morphinomania is com
paratively harmless. 1t grows on one
with amazing rapidity. and gives little
or no warning of the harm it is doing
until the evil is accomplished almost
beyond recall. With most narcotics
you have quick passage of coming evil
Let the average man inject a dose OF
morphia and he will find the temporary
ease followed by excruciating head
ache, by raw nerves and by fearsome
repression of spirits. But with the CO
caine at first 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 a sense of self salts
faction. of buoyancy. of ease and of
pleasure In the normal man or wo-
man there is often at first no great re-
|
nerve poison, the effects differ accord.
Jig 10 individual temperament
Pleasure PASSES OF Quickly.
But the pleasure passes of very
quickly, even more quickly than with