Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-16

of Colorado, assistant secretary.
The increase i'll the use of opium,
morphone, coca leaves and cocaine mas
neen appalling in the United states
within the past generation In the
five leading countries of Europe III
GLIDING population of about i,0o'.-
600, less than $4,000 pounds of opium
are used annually. The United states,
with a population of 10000. 900 imports
and consumes over 100000 pounds an
nually, averaging over half an ounce
per capita eff the entire population.
The quantity of coca leaaves and CO.
caine consumed in Europe is even
less than that of opium as compared
With the United States. over l5u,0oa
pounds of cocaine are consumed III
this country annually. \ consensus
of opinion obtained from a canvass of
a large number of the leading physi-
clans of the country indicates that -,
900 pounds of opium would be ample
to meet the medicinal needs of the
American people as would l3.0oe
ounces of cocaine.
1t is thus shown that more tEaa five
times the amount of opium ana /
times the amount Of cocaine required
for medicinal purposes IS being con-
sumed in this country each year. Tht
excess is consumed by thousands Of
men and wumen who have become add
dicted To the drug habit. As a result
additional criminal GLASSES are being
created. The habitual use OF drugs Is
more harmful in its effects than the
use of alcoholic liquors. 1t is spread
ing with a rapidity which meiaces
the welfare of the entire Nation. s.
ually the victims have formed the
ha bit lnnoeently and uneonseieusiy
cut having once become a drug slave,
reform is almost impossible. In most
of the States some sort of legislation
has been enacted looking toward the
lessening of the ease with which the
habit forming drugs can be secured
by irresponsible persons. These l2ws
are poorly enforced in the man and
little care is given to means Of pre-
venting the establishment of thu drug
nabit.
The great majority of drug victims &C
quire their taste through patent nedi-
cines. the careless use of drugs u derea
In thu. beginning by a physician, or iron
taking medieated soft drinks. Iateni
medicine manufacturers, who use cocaine
and morphine in their compounds, some
times claim that these drugs lose theil
effect by being combined with other in
gradients. Expert chemical tests prove
this to be untrue. The habitual use OF
| medicine containing only a small quaint
ty of either drug may, if continued re
| suit in the establishment of an uncon
querable habit. Cocaine i somethin.
used as snuff and its victims may begir
to acquire desire of it by using SONS
of the catarrh cures so numerous upon
the market.
A physicians examination of over or
morphine cases indicated that more than
30 per cent of the victims used the drug;
hypodermically. The instrument is usu
ally used first by a physician to cheei
some acute pain. Afterward the patient
seeing how easily he was relieved, begin
to use the instrument himself. In mos
parts of the country a hypodermic sSr
inge may be purchased by 15-year-ol'
boy easily as IA pocket knife. TIN
condition is as great a menace to TN
country as the indiScrminate sale o
| firearms 4 law recently has been en-
acted in the New York Legislature max
| ing il a crime to sell a hypodermic syr
| inge in that State except on physician
| certificate This restriction has little ef
| feet i'm New York city, because, by cross
/ ing over into New Jersey, the instru
| ments can be bought without restriction
| Comparatively few Americans addicte
! to the drug habit smoke the opium pipe
| one reason is that it is difficult to O.
| tain the apparatus. Another is that 1t
not so easily concealed. The hypodermI
| syringe is much more convenient am
| also more dangerous. The opium smoker
who consumes % pills a day, takes int
| his system only the equivalent of one
| fourth of grain of morphine taken ny
podermically and of one-half grain take
| into the mouth. For this reason the OPT
um smoker is not really injured SO nue.
| by his habit as the victim who depens
upon the use of the deadly little instru
ment which he may use absolutely un
| suspected by his friends.
| The chief habit forming drugs are OPP
| UNI and cocaine and their derivatives il
addition to these are small but danger
Gus group of drugs known as hypnotlcs