The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-09-08
THE DRUG PERIL
THE USE OF COCAINE IS WIDE
SPREAD as WELL AS
Opium, Morphine and Cther Dan-
gerous Drugs, and q Crusade u
Being Waged Aginst Them

eerous Drugs, and Crusade
Being Waged Asinst Them
The widespread use OF cocaine
opium. morphine and o.he. drug
OF that character is becoming alarm
Ing. and active steps will soon b
:naugurated by the United State
Government to stop their sale ex
cep, for legitimate purposes. Ther
Is no doubt bu. tha: cocaine. o
| happy dust. as many OF the nsgroe
who use Il call the drug. Is oetnI
used BY thousands OF negroes ant
many whites in this State and othe
Southern States. II It's use Is 40
stopped there Us no telling wha
harm it will do this section from
several s,aadpoints.
The Philadelphia Record in con
| side-lng the drug peril" from
| national view point has the follow
Ing, to say:
The tremendous increase In the
| use OF cocaine that followed the
pasase ., the restrictive laws against
op!um may be gathered when 1t ID
known that in ls04-besore the
United States took up the cudsels
against the O1!ente! hab!t-the In
porta,!on OF cocaine was only 5S.'
900 ounces. and OF coca leaves. from
which cocaine Is made. was $4,000
ounces. In 1905 100000 ounces
OF the leaves were imported. but
the importation Of cocaine had fal-
len OF 20 about half what It was
the year before because. rather than
pay q duty Of IS PEE cent ad Talorem
the chemists had started up the
manufacture Of the drug in this
country on q lsEge scale. In 1905
the importation OF coca lesTes was
2,ooo.0oo ounces.
By this time. however. many OF
the States awoke to the fact that
cocaine was a pretty dangerous drug
TO have sold about the cities and
towns without any safeguards OF
stint, and many OF them passed re-
st-ic.iYe laws. The passage OF these
statutes resulted in the shrinkase
OF the importation OF coca leaves IN
1907 to i.515.ooo ounces. and IN
1908 to $4,000 ounces. In 1908
the importation OF cocaine from
abroad was only 1892 ounces. valu-
ed at s1.los. The use OF cocaine
in medicine and surgery is. OF course.
to produce local anssthesis or insen-
sibility. When taken internally It's
effect Is 70 produce criminals.
No drug on thu market seems to
have any where near such denora!z-
Ing effect upon the human system
The habitual user soon loses all
moral courage. Lying and stealing
are the least Of the crimes he Is
ready to commit when under the In
auence. and. In majority OF cases.
his 1ature becomes brutal!zed and
changed for the worse.
one knows just where or when
the cocaine habit" hrst started IN
this country. I. Is generally laid al
the door Of proprietary powder
tha: vas put on the market and ad-
ver.ised as q sure cure for cold in
the head This powder contained
cocaine and be!ladonna and seemed
to produce the effect advertised.
Pretty soon the authorities IN va!i-
Gus States found that certain pow
ders on the market, which looked
like the northumberland cure" con-
tanned nothing to speak OF except
cocaine. The belladonna had been
dropped out. Il was found. and Is
still the fact. that these powders
were sold to thousands OF persons
In the great cities and IN the th!ckly
populated districts OF the South.
Nearly all the Southern States
have taken drastic measures to pre-
vent the sale Of e5caine. but until
the Federal government takes hand
By prohibiting the movement OF the
drug in interstate commerce. great
deal will be smuggled across the
State lines and used. The same may
be said OF all the other drugs that
the communities would exclude. No
matter bow stringent local laws may
be, Il the drugs are allowed on sale
without restriction IN any OF the
States, they are bound to hnd their
way into the forbidden territory.
II Is proposed to have Congress
pass law that Will force tho man
utactu7eres and dealers IN all naoit-
inspiring drugs 70 take out FEEDER
a, license. and 70 make segula! perl
odical returns TO the internal rere-
nue bureau. BY this means every
ounce OF cocaine. chlo-al. etc. may
be traced from the time It IS manu-
featured until it reaches the con.
sume.. and !! the consumer lives
In CLOSED territory" It Is believed
| possible to cure him OF the habit
by taking from him the means o!
| continuing It. The State Depart
ment. through its opium conmis'
sione-. DR.. Hamilton Wright. tool
the initiative IL tie matter OF SUP
pressing the production and sale o.
opium for eating and smoking Dur
poses and will lead the fight for TIT
eradication OF the other drug hae
It's.
The cocaine and chlo.a! habit:
are Jus. as bad in their way as tn'
opium habit" said Dr.. Wright. "aot
We are going to draw up a bill TO-
presentation 20 Congress 10. the sup