The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-03-22
HEARING
ON ANTI
DRUG BILL

The insidious effects OF the drug habit
were spoken of at a hearing before the
house committee on judiciary at the
eta ate house this afternoon. and physicians
told Of the horrible effects OF morphine
and cocaine, the latter drug being referred
10 by Dr. Walker al infinitely worse than
alcohol
Mr.. Burchard OF Little Compton told
Of The use Of the drug IN foreign coun-
tries and mentioned that physicians were
great drug users. telling OF one man who
had TO take a dose every little while In
the car or elsewhere 10 keep going.
The hearing was on a bill for an act
to regulate the sale Of certain narcotics,
the measure having been introduced by
Judge Harris.
There was very large attendance in
the little committee room Of doctors and
druggists from different parts OF the
state and the greatest interest was ex-
pressed in the matter, which all admit
ted was one OF the utmost importance
Dr. Swarts OF the state board OF health
and commissioner Of vital statistics said
he approved the measure because IL was
a thing he had favored some years ago
He stated he understood that n any one
wanted they would have very little trouble
In getting morphine and other drugs In
the drug stores of this city, excepting
perhaps a few OF the high class stores.
The measure IL one that has the sup
port Of the better class Of druggists and
certainly Of the physicians.
Mr.. Fitzgerald called attention to the
fact that veterinarles and dentists were
debarred from getting the drugs
EASY TO GET DRUGS.
Or f. F. Walker favored the bill. say
ing that the object was 70 have record
Of the drugs and the druggist should be
given chance 70 refuse 10 sell the stuff
20 certain people
He said that n was only a start this
bill and that by suggestions " could be
amended In q proper manner. Cocaine
has done more harm than alcohol ever
sold. There have been recoveries from
alcoholism, from morphine habit. but
from cocaine. never. n Is so easy 20 get
Il in almost every drug store ! know
one man who takes 80 grains a day, the
usual dose is one-half grain. He told
the usual ways OF taking II and mem
toned the Chinese and negroes as chief
users Why. AT one time the hotel ser
vice in one southern city was paralyzed.
Mr. Burchard OF Little Compton said he
nad learned OF tnlS question IN New OFk,
san Francisco. England France, Agiers
and Egypt. Before the consideration
OF this bill the other problems OF the
assembly this session pale into insignih-
cance. There Is no need OF the learned
gentlemen here 10 take up your time 20
show the need OF checking the horrible
morphine and cocaine habits he said.
you must realize their prevalence"
After calling attention 10 the fact that
pna dat IL
tho whole state with drugs OF a harmful
character. he said the law now was as
liberal possible for an opium fend He
spoke OF the new bill. In the first place
the bill IN section 3 allows enough drug
10 make a cure 10 he sold, and that would
cause me 70 vote against It's passage.
AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED.
I would suggest that II he amended 10
read cure or relief OF the malady.
In the second place / think this bill
swings from one extreme Of the matter 10
the other Where now all kinds can be
sold this would prohibit every sort, even
paregoric. used by mothers.
think this matter should be submitted
10 r. committee OF the medical and phar-
macists' association and the bill they
draft should he adopted.
TkiS committee with all due respect is
not fitted 10 draft a proper bill nor any
one member OF IL.
Mr. Fitzgerald took the issue az this
statement but admitted the amendment to
Mr. Burchard s statement when he added,
"on this subject"
MIR Burchard spoke about the present
- stems OF prescription filling. There are
three systems
One in which the druggist fills the pre-
scription and gives IL back without record
Tho second provides the druggist keep a
record I'm case whom poisons are on the
aave aVff, Tor. a1.s arI fn VIa ,sf=I
in New York the original prescription is
retained The latter scheme is the better.
he said. and incidentally referred TO Mr..
Mason as the Dean Of the pharmaci
SHOULD KEEP ORIGINALS.
Mr.. Mason related an Instance early
In his professional life where the doctor
made a mistake. substituting grams for
ounces. and had he not retained the orig
inai prescription TO confound the irate
doctor and customer he might have had
a damage suit on his hands.
The law should require every druggist
10 keep the original Of every prescription
on nle." he stated.
c. II Daggett. OF the Daggett & Miller
Co. manufacturing druggists. asked about
the matter OF veterinaries and dentists
and Dr, Swarts intImated that those per
sons were 10 be added 10 the hist Of per-
sons who could buy the narcotics.
Dr Mclaughlin OF this city introduced
himself as p veterinary and said this bill
was botch on the face Of It and u was
II through the Legislature. | know g."
benefit a few people II looks as II n
few men who were starving 10 death got
together and fixed up bill 90 make peo-
pie come 10 them 90 get new prescriptions
and 20 stop the druggist from rehllng
them
There is no bill that comes up here
without somebody has 20 be paid 20 get
ot through the legislature. know It,
he said and his language throughout was
heated and hittN when he branched
cut upon bribery talk he was called to
order by Judge Harris who asked him !
90 connne himself 90 the bill.
The doctor said he wouldn, talk II he !
couldn't proceed a. he chose. and that 70 |
vas his privilege as citizen 20 be heard