Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-12

that quoting mixtures are admins
tered very generally to infants and he
feels that in such children habit Of
forming a habit is thus created in
many cases and has had a bad effect
on the child in after years. Three
answer that these drugs are greatly
abused one thinks that this is due
to careless and indiscriminate prescrip-
ton of these drugs by physicians. One
physician says that their abuse is de-
plorable, but yet he has not himself
been brought in contact with any
group of persons in this state among
whom the use of opium prevails to a
large extent.
In answer to Question 2, rs the use
Of the drug on the increase in the
state of Maine, and if so. to what is
this increase attributable, ttrec
physicians say they do not know
Three state that it is rot on the in
crease. one of these says that it is
his impression that the use Of NOR
phine hypoderinically which seemed
to be- increasing twenty or Twenty-Five
wears ago. has not Increased during
the past ten years. He thinks That
the use Of soothing Syrups for babies
is decreasing. Three answer that the
abuse Of opiates is increasing. one
says he does not know the cause. on"
thinks that the cause OF the increase
is due to ndiScriminate use of pare
goric and soothing syrurs for babies
ard patent medicines by adults One
physician only ascribes the cause Of
the increase to the enforcement Of the
prohibitory liquor law. but the drug
giSt in his city very emrhatlcall%
states chat the sale of opium and us
derivatives is quite limited, certainly
not to any alarming extent. and from
conversation with druggists in Other
states, we are led to believe that the
demand in Maine is far less than The
demand in these other states. We be
lieve that the demand for these drugs
is now on the decrease" The drug
gist in the village where another of
these three doctors has his practice
saws that the use of the drug in Maine
is decreasing.
DR.. Riselow r. Sanborn, superihten-
dent of the Maine Insane Hospital. re-
plies that: Il think | am correct III
stating that fewer persons come to the
institution suffering from the abuse of
opium ana ltS ttl ~ "tiN''' t''t'' 49, '''>'
w. | believe that there is less opium
used than ten years ago, in the state
of Maine"
The third question was: in your
opinion has the operation Of the Pure
Food Law tended to diminish the SAFE
Of proprietary medicines containing
opium CT it's derivatives, or mas II
not -
-Four physicians say they are unable
to state. and six say that they have not
noted any effects yet. one 81 tn"sN
saws that he knows of one lady VINO
had taken Cherry Pectoral for fftv
wears. and when tho new formula mao
been adopted. and the morphine was
omitted, she was Frustrated. ara pclilg
an old lady. it was thought best q
gradually lessen the amount. Three
answer that the Pure Food Law has
diminished the sale of these medicines.
The expression of the opinion OF the
druggists on the first question: that IS.
tho extent to which the use of opium
and its derivatives is abused, IS Amos,
unanimous Only one is Of the opinion
that they are largely abused. Seven
ans wcr lhat tho abuse IS not large or
to any great extent one Of these SAYS
there are very few new add'Ct1ons'
Twenty-one answer that there IS very
little abuse or that they are used but
very little. and two say that there y
practically no abuse Whatever pf.
saws that he knows of only one NOR
phine 6end in the neighhorhood An
OF her SAYS: Il have not had customer
for opium for more than five years,
and he knows of only three or four
users of morphine in the wide range
covered by their trade, and these. with