The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-21
DOCTORS BLAMED
FOR DRUG HABITS
Attorney for Proprietary As
ISOLATION Says Hypodermic
Needle Starts All.
AN INCREASE IS SHOWN
Representative Francis B. Harrison
Tells Delegates Of Bill to
Regulate Traffic.

Discussing the question OF narcotics
at the thirty-first annual convention OF
the proprietary Association OF America
! in session at the New Willard, Frank
B. Thompson, Of Toledo, Ohio, the gen.
eral attorney OF the association, yester-
day afternoon struck at the root Of the
evil of habit-forming drugs when he
declared that irrefutable statistics show
that fully IS per cent Of all the habitual
users of opium, cocaine, morphine, and
similar drugs owe their first taste OF
the drugs to the hypodermic needle OF
the physician.
ut is for this reason" continued the
speaker, that We find all legislation
calculated to regulate the sale or use
Of such drugs is aimed after all at the
really trivial 5 per cent which remains.
What We really need Is reform in
legislation, so that controlling laws may
reach the great majority Of the purveyors
of the narcotics. That there is a de-
mand for appropriate legislation restrict
ing the sale of narcotics 10 beyond ques-
ton From every city come the reports
of grave abuses in this traffic. 1t is
appreciated that one OF the greatest
difficulties to be met in the attempt TO
regulate commerce in these articles, lies
in the fact of their recognized merit as
therapeutic agencies, OF the necessity of
their availability for immediate use, in
other words, in the necessity for their
existence and wide distribution
Representative Harrison Speaks.
Representative Francis Burton Harri-
son OF New York. author of the anti
narcotic bill. now in the House OF Rep
resentatives. in behalf Of the passage
of which President Wilson recently sent
II .,nI
delegates yesterday afternoon of the
efforts made to enact for the United
States a bill that would regulate the traf
nc in narcotics and habit-forming drugs.
Frank J. Cheney. of Toledo. Ohio. pres
ident OF the association. in his annual ad-
dress. in speaking Of drugs, said:
When you consider the therapeutic
value of any drug that value must be
based on what the drug will do to re-
lieve the sick, and not upon the whole
sale or retail price of the drug on the
market"
In reviewing the proprietary medicine
business Mr. Cheney submitted statis-
tics prepared by the Department of Com
merce and Labor, showing that the total
production of proprietary medicines in
1911 was approximately sl6o.OO0.ob1. as
compared with sl00, 10000 in 1872, an in
crease of 50 per cent in less than a
decade
Growth of the Business.
Mr. Cheney's statistics covered the
years as far back as 1850. The prOprie
tary medicine business. then in its in
fancy. included 1i3 establishments. cap
italized at N.427,375. with ST employees
and an annual production valued at 81
sos +s5. The latest available figures. COW
ering the entire industry, showed that
in 1909 there were 3.642 establishments,
capitalized at 500 81, on. with 22.S95 en-
ployes and an annual production VAL
ued at sln 90, COO In 1850. the cost of
used in medicine manufacture
was A,651s6s. In 1909. the materials used
cost $50, $780, 900. For 1911, the only figures
available showed the total output of
products for the year TO be worth
$3.50 600
DR.. L. F. Kebler. of the Agricultural
Department, and Henry p. Strong. of
81. Louis. also spoke on subjects relating
20 narcotics and legislation relating !
hereto. District Commissioner Rudolph |
welcomed the delegates to Washington. |
The various committees will submit |
heir reports at this mornings meeting. |
and at the session this afternoon Elliot |
4. Goodwin, general secretary of the |
rhamber of Commerce of the United |
states. and Ernest Sanger, of London, |
Will make addresses.
Orient c. Pinckney. secretary-treasur- |
IT OF the association, gave out a formal |
prior to the opening of the |
denying a report that the !
would even consider the |
prices of proprietary articles. The asso-
,iation has never had anything to do
With prices, he declared.
The speakers at the banquet this even
ng will be: John c. Wallace, Phi. D.,
PRESIDENT of the Allied Drug Trade Con-
erence: Mr.. David Watson. president of |
he Proprietary Articles Trade Associa-
ion. OF Montreal; Mr.. Albert Plant, pres
dent of the National Wholesale Drug
yists Association; Mr.. Henry Merritt,
president of the National Retail Drug
yists' Association: Mr.. Jesse L. Hopkins,
lew York City. and Mr.. Brent Good, one
If the organizers OF the association.