New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-04
DRUGGISTS DENOUNCE
COCAINE, LAW LAXIIY
Divided Responsibility for Enforcement Per-
mits Vile Traffic to Flourish in
City, They Declare.

: is a self-evident fact that the police are
getting something out Of It."
Professor Diekman attacked Mayor
Gaynor's outward responsibility" views
and went on to say that the Board OF
Health carried on periodic campaigns
against cigarette smoking in the subway
and appeared frightfuIy agitated when-
ever any one expectorated on the side
walk, but that 1t did not seem to De
doing much to stamp out this evil. which
was laying it's heavy hand on the city
youth.
Commissioner Lederle Of the Health De-
partment shifted the blame along TO the
police by saying that the state Ia" nao
superseded the Health Department OF"
nance, and that 1t would be foolish 10
prosecute a man for a misdemeanor under
the ordinance when he could be prose-
cuted for a felony under the law.
Commissioner Waldo, whose department
received the whole weight Of the respoh-
sibility by this argument. appeared
stunned by the burden. He made no at
tempt to shift It or explain why the law
was not more strictly enforced.
The position Of the State Board OF Phai-
macy I'm the matter was more clearly out
lined by its president. Clarence y. Bige-
low, of this city. He said that since the
1910 amendment the hands Of the board
were absolutely tied so far as any en-
forcement of the law went. All that tho
board could do now, he said. was 70 near
complaints on violations of the pharmacy
law and. II there seemed to be suficient
evidence to Indicate a violation, turn the
matter over to the Attorney General FOR
direct action.
The board has only three inspectors at
work in this city and one moro upstate
he said. He asserted this force was Ut
terly unable to cope with a situation IKE
the cocaine evil, and that even with more
inspectors the board could do nothing ex-
cept with the authority Of the Commits
sioner OF Education. In whose department
the Board OF Pharmacy is.
Authority Is Too Divided.
This weakness In the situation was en-
phasized by George Kleinau, president OF
the German Apothecary Society. who de-
clared that the whole system was botch.
Mr.. KIeinau said he had been going up
to Albany for fourteen years advocating
laws which were so changed when they
finally came through the Legislature that
their effect was completely spoiled. II
was necessary, he pointed out. to have a
single authority charged with the en-
forcement Of the cocaine law. He thought
the best authority for this purpose would
| be the Board Of Pharmacy. provided It's
appointment should be taken out of the
hands OF the Regents and given to thu
| Governor. The right 10 administer laws
| Mr.. Kleinau held, should not be vesteC
in the Regents, since they ought TO be q
purely educational body.
| Dr. William c. Anderson, president o
the New York Pharmaceutical Confer
ence, was also OF the opinion that tn
present laws were sufficient, II the polc
would enforce them.
1T would pay the city to put specia
detectives on the trail Of the coke sell
ers." he said. "and stamp out the trad
| by the most vigorous measures. Thu
Tribune could not be engaged in bette
work than leading public opinion in q re
volt against such a traffic"
The punishment Of the trafficker in co
caine should be as drastic as that metet
out TO the man who menaces society will
revolver or a stiletto, according to DR.
William III. Guilfoy, register Of tho De
partment Of Health.
Instead OF letting such persons OF
with short terms Of Imprisonment" SAID
Dr. Guilfoy. they should receive the mos
drastic punishment In that way tn,
traffic could be effectualy curtailed."
DR.. Guilfoy said he had never com.
across a death certificate giving the habit
ual use Of cocaine as the cause Of NOR
tality, but II was not infrequent to fnt
such with chronic morphnlsm as thu
cause He declared the cocaine fiend wa.
much more modern problem than the
morphine user.
| Cocaine fiends can Withstand the raw
ages OF the drug" DR.. Guidfoy said. "fol
from fifteen to thirty years. and some
times longer. have heard of cases where
men got over the habit after becoming
slaves to II, but I have never heard OF q
woman fiend being able to stop II use
once she became addicted to the drug"