The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-02-17
NARCOTIC EFFECTS,
Paper Read Before the w. c. T.
U. Meeting Held Recently.
BY DR.. B. D. McIARBN,
Narcotics and Their Evil Effects Upon
the Human System. Published
by Request

| In the realm of chemistry, Socialists
have deiyed for countless ages Men
have spent wears: Yea! many Of them
a life time, striving to determine the
clements to produce substance more
complex.
Their labors have been rev >rded in
q more universal knowledge OF chem
istry aud kindred sciences. and ia the
fiseovery and artificial formation OF
idgugs and chemicals, which have
proven useful, in commerce, the arts.
aad in the researches of scientists the
world over.
Bat while thu success of the scientist
il almost every department has been
marked. stilfAto the thoughtful observ-
ing man or woman, the question pre-
seuts itself. Has his Investigations
and researches in that portion OF
chemistry which has to do with poisons
especially that class of poisons, known
80 narcotics. been productive of as
much good as it has been productive OF
harm? Is the misery and dispair OF
the morphine friends or the slaves to
opium, tobacco, choral cocaine and the
bromides in any sense balanced by the
suffering these drugs may alleviate?
In other words, is their usefulness in
surgical operations proportionase to
the misery they occasion?
think not.
The forming of habits in the use OF
these drugs is perhaps responsible for
most of the harm they do. The trite
saying,-Habits formed by unseen de-
grees. AS creeks run rivers, so rivers
run seas is as true OF bad as of
good habits; and the poor wretch who
finds himself almost too late, the victim
of the morphine Or opium habit, can
certainly testify as to their gradual and
insiduous growth.
A writer in the Popular Science
Monthly observes. that, IA boy begins
in ginger beer and ends in ginger rum;
The medical ''tonic" delusion progress
es from Malt Extract to Schlitz Best;
and the nicotine habit once introduced
the alcohol habit soon follows. .
Gould's Medical Dictionary defines a
narcotic as any drug that produces
sleep or slumber and at the same time
/, elieves pain.
| 1t may be well to speak of the physic
al and mental affects arising from the
use of some of the principal narcotics
First-Tobace,o having as its chic
| Ingredient, the poisonous narcotic
! poison, nicotine, deserves our atten
tion because Of its wide spread use and
demoralizing effect.
| Aside from the filthiness OF the
habit. it's effect upon the system is
| detrimental.
The tobacco user finds that the
| system at first resebts the forming Of
the habit and he usually experiences
nausea and headache on his first at
tempt TO smoke or chew. After repeat.
ed attempts however the system be
comes Injured to the poison and tbs
effects are as not as noticeable al
though they doubtless are as great
fhe presence of the poison in the sys
tenn tends TO overwork the elimatiug
organs, the skin, the liver and kidneys,
and IN consequence, dryness of the
nucus membranes. dyspepsia, nervous
ness, paralysis. smokers sore throat,
Irregular heart action, weakened Wis
lon, brain exhaustion, and many other
symptoms may appear. When the
habit is formed early, u stunting OF
growth is invariably the result.
In my own experience, | never meet
case of dyspepsia or stomach trouble
IN young or middle-aged man
but that | inquire as to whether or not
he is addicted to'the use OF narcotics or
Tobacco smoke is injurious, espically
to the young. It's co stituents are
carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, pois-
onous gas. and ammonia gases. The
first tends to produce sieeplessness ana
heacache, the second affects the heart
and muscles, the third causes dryne SIS
of the mouth and throat membranes.
| never see a small boy smok ing
cigars or cigarets, but that feel like
asking Which is to blame, this boy
or his parents.
lam not far removed from boyhood
myself and can nos bat have some
ympathy for the little CHAP who would
so like to be gromn up ana carry a
cigar between his teeth ana Spit and
swagger as he has seen some grown up
man do After ali even those Of more
mature years can NOS say. that they
themselves do not strive 10 initiate
those whom they admire and hold as
Their ideal.
shall SPEAK of the rema ming pois-
ons but briefly, and shall STRIVE to give
some idea Of their nature aud affects
upon the human SVsta.u