New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-21


will find that the records Of purchase
and disposition of cocaine will not be
so large as to require additional aid.
II feel that we doctors should be
glad to go To the small inconvenience
called for under this proposed law for
the sake of getting at the men in the
profession who have been mishandlinS
this deadly drug"
Senator Peckham, OF Oneida. who Is
also a physician. said that he would
favor any law which would restrict the
sale Of cocaine. He did not believe THAI
the inspection features of the Walker
bill would be burden to physicians
generally, because, he said. the ordinary
doctors practice called for such a small
amount of the drug that it was almost
negligible.
Speaker Smith of the Assembly, who
fathered previous cocaine legislation.
was emphatic in expressing his supper;
of legislation to minimize the traffic.
Il favor any bill that will help to
stop the evil" he said to-day. Il fa-
thered previous cocaine legislation, bu,
now sec the weakness of the present
law. as explained by Assistant District
Attorney Delehanty at the hearing yes
terday. and | believe this bill. in re-
stricting the sale and possession of the
drug. will supplement the present law
properly
Senator Robert f. Wagner, ma jority
leader of the Senate. is strongly in ia
for of the Walker bill. and will lend his
aid To its passage when il reaches
the upper house
our present cocaine legislation he
said to-day, falls short of the vital
point in the problem. because it leaves
large class untouched by its provi-
sions. No one will question the fact
that the vast majority of our doctors
! and druggists do not mishandle this
dangerous drug. but neither can any
one question the fact that those doc
tors and Druggists who do mishandle it
arc a terrible menace to the youth of
our cities.
II have heard of the prospective OPP
position 10 the Walker bill from physi-
clans who do not believe their records
should be open TO the examination of
the authorities. but | believe that these
doctors who are honestly opposed TO
y, "A "a
their opposition for the sake of the
greater good which can be accom-
plished only by such scrutiny.
mo one would believe that either
cutting officials will use this law as a
means of bothering reputable physi-
clans and that seems TO be the only
possibility in the law of which the med
ical societies have any fear.
Senator Wagner said that he had
seen something of the terrible effects
which the cocaine habit works on its
victims. and he thought that any law
which would restrict the sale Of such
drug was justified.
Il read with interest The Tribune's
exposures Of the open sale of cocaine
recently" he said, land know from
what | have seen myself that the
stories were not exaggerated. This bill
will he Of great assistance TO the health
and prosecuting officers in reducing to
the smallest possible limit the traffic in
~, h.
legislators who have indicated opposi-
ton TO it will see fit TO come around 10
its support when they realize the neces-
sitv for immediate action along these
lines"
The Senator spoke OF the bill in the
House Of Representatives. which IS an
outgrowth Of the international hygiene
conference at The Hague last summer
and which has the hearty support OF
President TAFT
THAT bill. when it becomes law. As
il seems certain that it will shortly.
will curb the interstate traffic in CO.
caiue and other drugs said Senator
Wagner. and we ought to supplement
IL in our own state with the most rigid
restrictions that we can put upon the
statute books.
The inspection feature which IS IN
cluded in Asscmblyman Walkers blli
must necessarily apply to all doctors
druggists. dentists and veterinarians to
hc effective. and those WHO contemplate
oupoeition On the ground that most oi
The members Of these professions are
above suspicion in this regard should
consider that only by applying the law
IN all can the state enforce its pro-
visions against the crooked doctors ana
druggists who are now the backbone Ga
the traffic.
Should Overlook Inconvenience.
"rhcv should. and believe they viii,
ovorlool, the inconvenience 10 them
selves for the sake of driving out TN"
black sheep i'm their own ranks and Tor
the sake of reducing the sale of TINS
dcgeneracy working drug to the abso-
lutc minimum.
Another measure in the line OF the
anti-cocainc and anti-morphine OH"
now before the Legislature was intro
duced to-day by Senator Whitney, VINO
is a druggist Of Saratoga 1t provides