The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-03-14
USE OF MORPHINE
BREEDER OF DECEIT
Most Popular Of Drugs is Blamed
for Numerous Crimes.
Seldom Causes Victims to Resort to
Brutality.

The manufacture and sale of NOR
phine has been steadily increasing
during the past few years 1t has
been said that not more than one
third of the morphine on the market
finds legitimate use in medic ne
and prescription and the conclusion
that the number of people who are
addicted to its use is rapidly growing
has resulted in a careful study of the
effects of tn drug. A fertile field
for this inquirey has been found in
the relation of criminality and NOR
phinism
According to DR. T. d. Crothers OF
Hartford who writes in the New
York Medical Journal there are
many reasons for believing that the
effects of morphine are different
from those of opium or any other
drug known, both psychically and
physically He believes that in the
United States and Canada there are
at least 1 100000 drug takers. In
use morphine is the most popular OF
all drugs says DR.. Crothers although
he cannot explain this apparent pref
erence.
DR.. Crothers goes on to say. that
the use of morphine is not limited to
any one class The conditions which
t he says provoke the use of morphine
are usually nerve exhaustion or irri-
tation, accompanied perhaps by pain
or insomnia. The narcotic effect Of
morphine covers up these conditions
and its continued use results IN a
form of fascination the memory OF
which fingers while the. pain and dis
comfort Of the habit are lost
DR.. Crothers admits that there is
great variety of evidence as to wheth-
er morphinist is more likely to be a
criminal than any other rug addict
A regularity OF morphine in relation
to crime is that it's subjects are sell
dom taken to court charged with bru-
tai crimes which alcohol users com
NIT. Kleptomania is one of the most
common charges AS aiders and a.
bettors of crime they are often seen
but not as leading factors in crimi-
nal conduct. The dominant thought
says the writer, in the mind of the
morphinist, is relief from pain and
discomfort and an ideal condition oil
quietness and serinity.
Facts and conditions are distorted
and exaggerated in the mind of the
morphine taker and his power to dis
criminate between them is dimin-
ished. This drug particularly clouds
his capacity for judging of his own
condition. The crimes committed by
morphinists are against property and
character and are based upon i'm
pulse and seIfishness. Kleptomania
forgery, swindlino and misdemeanors
Of a minor class, with or without pur-
pose, are common. The impulse to
procure morphine when suffering
from its withdrawal is so dominant
as to overcome all consideration of
right and wrong.
DR.. Crothers thinks that one of the
most marked phases of morphinism
which probably appears in most cases
is the pleasure the victims take in
concealing their motives and conduct
They have mania for leading a dou-
BILE life and enjoy the deception and
mask which they draw about them
selves
1t is a general fact that persons
under the influence fthe drug have
less power to resist physical and men
tai Impressions, and easily succumt
to temptations and suggestions from
without. The legal responsibility
of such persons is seldom recognized
in court. An eminent judge recent
ly charged the jury that where the
prisoner was proved to be morphine
user incompetency and impaired
judgment should not be recognized
He urged that such persons should
not be punished as responsible Later
the judge himself was found to be a
morphine user, and It was evident
why he realized the incompetency OF
others.