Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-22
Fighting
Cocaine,

| NOO'
| been invoked to put an
| E1gAt1nE end to the indiscrilainate
| No,,;~. and promiseHeus Use of
| cocaine, new faHkins as
perhaps the most iaaidieus and dangerous
| of hab't=fermins drugs. Hereafter
| every sale Of cocaine or coca leaves. how
ever small, which Is made in this eeun-
try, will be put on record with sworn
affidavit rs to the purpose Of It's use, and
| In this manner The national government
has Effected fneans of regulating the
supply, 30 that in the future the drug
! cannet be obtained except ii Legitimate
| medical practice.
The army OF victims scattered ever the
United States, estimated to humber be-
tween 100000 and 100000, who are slip
posed to he addicted to tho use Of the
cocaine Take" are faeiss hard days
ahead. For T. number Of years tho amount
of cocaine used in this country has run
up to 10000 ounces or more, which Is
estimated by government drug experts to
be about ten times the quantity needed in
! legitimate medical practice.
The governments new method of reeu-
iating the cocaine supply is simplicity
Itself. All of the drug used In this cotn-
try Is imported usually In the form of
coca. Officials OF the Department of
Agriculture have called to the attention
of the Secretary of the Treasury the
section of the pure food and drugs law
any drug or drug product which
is dangerous to the health OF the
people of the United States. The Secre-
tary OF the Treasury. after investigation.
has Just handed down the decision which
upholds the contention of the bureau of
chemistry experts that the pure food and
drugs law In its present form Is applica-
BILE to the regulation of the Illicit cocaine
traffc The Treasury Department has
sent to the collectors of customs at all
ports instructions and a copy Of the
affidavit which every importer Of coca
and cocaine will have to make, and which
they will have to demand from every per
son receiving the drug. down to the
ultimate consumer. These affidavits and
books Of record will be open at all times
to government inspection, and any dealer
who makes a false entry will be liable to
prosecution for perjury under the laws
Of the United States
The person receiving the coca or CO.
caine must swear that the shipment or
quantity purchased is intended In good
faith for use in a manner not dangerous
to the health OF the people Of the United
States. and that he will Keep or have
kept complete records of the drug. and
VIII secure from each and every person.
firm or corporation to whom the goods
shall be sold In whole or in part SINH
lar declaration, to which the purchaser
has to swear. These declarations will be
kept on file for a period of not less than
three years.
This decision ts the outcome of a fight
OF more than five years for regulation
to control the drug traffic in the United
States. the most serious phase Of which.
perhaps. is the promiscuous and indis-
criminate sale and use Of cocaine and its
derivatives. This fight to end the Illicit
use or cocaine was begun bv DR.. Harvey
w. Wiley while chief Of the bureau Of
chemistry. and his lieutenant. DR. Lyman
+. keblnr. who for many years has been
chief Of the drug division of the bureau
of chemistry During previous admins
trations IL was not possible to apply the
food and drugs law to cocaine. former
Solicitor Georre p. McCabe having held
that the act dill not amply to the regula-
ton Of the Illicit traffic
The adverse decision was made, not
outstanding the fact that the original
law prohibits the importation OF any drug
product into this country which is adul-
terated misbranded within the mean
Ing Of the Dure food and drugs act or as
otherwise dangerous to the health Of the
people of the United States. Practically
all cocaine connine into this country is i'm
pOrted from South America and Java in
the form of coca. and it is generally
known by ]aymen we'll as medical and
hospital authorities that IT'S indiscrimina te
and nromiscuous use is DANGEROUS to the
health of the people Of the United States
The present solicitor of the Agricultural
DEPARTMENT reversed the McCabe opinion
The new regulation is triumph for
the so-called progressives who have been
identified with the pure food and drug
movement. These men have insisted uron
its rigid enforcement and its application
in every case whore the health of the
people of the country is menaced be-
cause of the non-enforcement or the con-
Sldpr9tlOn section
dead letter. The men sharing IN the
achievement which makes possible the
checking of the abuse of "A drug which
Is valuable in surgical practice but which
makes tends Of the people who form a
habit of using it include DIR. Harvey w.
Wiley. former chief of the bureau Of
chemistry: Dr. Lyman F. kebler DR.
Carl l.. Alsberg. DR.. Wiley's successor
in the bureau OF chemistry. who support
ed the request for n Treasury regulation
which will apply the pure food and drugs
law to cocaine and coca imnortations and
Solicitor Francis G. Caffee. who fur
nished the original decision which con-
WINGED the Treasury Department officials
of the publication Of tho pure food and
drugs law to cocaine. F.. NJ. Halstead
chief of the customs division of the
Treasury Department. also did A large
part of the work in shaping the deci-
sion to control the cocaine traffic. The
bureau of chemistry men have had the
support Of Secretary Houston and Assist
ant Secretary GALLOWAY throughout the
fight leading I'm to the Treasury decision
The application of the pure food and
drugs law to prevent the Legitimate sale
and use of cocaine is the second nure food
and drugs achievement of Secretary
Houston and Assistant Secretary Gallo
way within the last few weeks to pro-
tect the peoples health. the first having
been the use of the law to cover meat
and meat products passing into interstate
commerce.
When Or. Joseph A. Holmes. director
of the United States bureau of mines re-
turned to Washington
Saving OF during the past week
r, he was congratulated
No'uA" al No'' by his chief. Secretary
Lane, on the accomplishments of the
government mining engineers, who have
effected a daily saving of natural gas in
Oklahoma which had a value to con-
sumers of $50 600 to S5O,O0N. $4,000, 600
to S1SOOO,OGo worth of gas in a year.
The tremendous value Of natural gas
which the government has already saved
on the Indian lands in Oklahoma is equal
to the cost of running the bureau or
mines for many years, and forms EVIL
dence of the value of the government
work in improving conditions in the
mining and related Industries.
Officials of the Department of the In