The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-09
The Drug Habit
THE GENTLEw OMAN.

fhe injurious and demOralzing hah-
1t Of taking certain drugs, in order to
produce pleasurable sensations. ap-
pears to be ON the increase One has
only TO notice the number of adVer-
tlscne nts Of institutions and remedies
for the cure of the habit. both in the
medical and lay press, to realize how
widespread 1t is. The confirmed drug
taker Is more often a woman than a
man. and generally a woman of neuro-
ire temperament In the daily papers
one reads from time to time of
wealthy women of good social posi-
ton brought before the magistrates
charged with objectless thefts and
other misdemeanors, When these cases
are examined it is usually found that
the woman has been addicted to the
drug habit in some form. In the d.
vOFcc courts, too, it now and then
comes out, In course of a trial, that all
was we'll and happy till the woman
began to take drugs The drugs abused
this way are opium in various forms,
morphta, Chloral, and cocaine. These
are all most valuable drugs when used
for the legitimate relief of pain and
disease.
The usual history is, that having
taken the drug in the first instance
as "A medicine, and having found relief
from pain following it's use, the I'M
suspecting woman keeps il for all
emergencies whether suitable or not,
and by degrees as its fascination be-
comes stronger for her, she makes
every trifling pain or imaginary worry
an excuse, and becomes that pitible
creature, the drug slave. The alcohol
habit is degrading enough. The spec
tacle of drunken woman is loath-
some; but the morphia or cocaine
habit il worse, If possible, and more
insdious, The medical dose is
gradually increased, until the
amount tolerated by the habitee
would be fatal to normal in
dividual; but the risk of an overdose
is always present, and death is due
in a number of cases to an overdose
OF cocaine or Chloral, or whatever the
particular drug may be. The contin-
uous abuse of these drugs is, in time.
ruinous morally and mentally. as well
as physically II gives rise to disor-
ders of the circulation, of the diges-
ton, and the nervous system. Consti-
patton results, with all its attendant
ills. there IS loss of appetite and de-
feCtive nutrition, which, in time reacts
on the appearance There is eman-
citation. or sometimes nabbiness; the
becomes wrinkled, parCh-
ment like and duh, the eyes lusterless
and sunken. The nervous symptoms
are various At first, depression, in
scmnia, unnatural excitement, attacks
OF nerves; then eccentric behavior
and finally mania and suicide.
II takes some time, longer or shorter
according TO the susceptiolities Of the
individual and the amount of indul-
gence before the final stages are reach
ed. or before symptoms C.velop, which
arouse the suspicious of the unhappy
woman's friends. Women who take
drugs sololy for ratification like to
enjoy the effects alone, and those who
take dose or injection, as a pick
mc-up before making any special eff
fort, prefer to do so unseen. This in
clnation TO secrecy and deceit begins
almost at once, and increases with the
dose. The victim sometimes develops
most extraordinary cunning and in
vention in procuring and secreting the
drug, in spite of all precautions; and
viii deny brazenly that she takes any
thing. so that the habit lis well estab-
lished before her friends suspect the
cause of her i'll health When well .es-
tabllshed, self-cure Is impossible. Even