New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-24
AMENDED COCAINE BILL
FINDS FAVOR IN SENATE
New Features Remove 0ppoSi-
ton of New York County
Medical Society.
DELEGATION UPH0LDS IT
Judge Swami Strongly Recon-
mends Legislation-Law-
makers Speak in Sim
liar Strain.
~ Telegraph 10 The Tr-bnre |

Albany. April 23.-The Walker bill.
introduced 10 minimize the evils Of the
cocaine habit disclosed by The Trib-
une. will undoubtedly be reported by
the Senate Codes Committee to-mo--
row morning. The committee Will
consider several amendments present
ed this afternoon by Assistant District
Attorney Delehanty. who drafted the
bill. They were made at the request
of the County Medical Society of New
York. and Mr.. Delehanty said they
would remove all opposition which that
organization has had 10 the measure.
These amendments have been agreed
TO 10y the leaders OF the Assembly,
which has already passed the bill, and
there will be no difficulty in its getting
through that House again.
The effect of the changes is TO re-
move the limitations placed on physi-
clans in making prescriptions contain
ing cocaine. Under the amendments
"A physician is not bound To use any
certain form of prescription; no linz
itation is placed on the strength OF
solution he can prescribe and he is not
required To- make special record Of
prescriptions containing more than |
per cent of cocaine.
The physician is also 10 be allowed 10
have In his possession one and one
eighth ounces uf cocaine. instead Uf
one ounce. and he is 10 be required 10
report only the total disposition of %
caine twice a year, instead of the de-
tailed disposition.
Delegation from New York.
Judge Swami, MIR. Delehanty and
Father Curry. of St James's Churcn,
came up from New York To favor the
measure. The only opposition was
from DR.. W. Il. Robinson, Of Gilead
Ohio. the manufactures OF patented
asthma cure containing cocaine. DR..
Robinson said he favored the purpose
OF the bill but he objected To the pro-
vision which would prevent his cure
from being sold in this state save on u
doctors prescription.
Because OF asthma sufferers who had
found relief in this medicine the bill
was amended before 1t passed the AS
sembIy by providing that physician
i'm making prescription could certify
that il was needed by the patient for
one or two years and no new prescrin-
tion could be secured in that time. Al
present the life of a prescription Is
only ten days.
Judge Swami said that few people
outside of New York City could realize
the tremendous percentage OF crime
committed i'm that city because of the
cocaine habit.
I'm my experience Of five years on the
bench" he said, II have found that this
drug more than anything else causes
crime of all degrees and among all
classes. no matter of which sex. or all
drugs this seems TO he the one that gets
the greatest mastery over It's victims.
You cannot believe man who takes
cocaine under any circumstances. He
is n liar and can't help 1t. The worst
criminals in New York city are cocaine
fiends. 'Gyp' the Blood Is one. Elliott
the most celebrated forger | have come
I'm contact with, was addicted 10 the
drug. and Elliott (this was not his right
name) was highly educated and came
from an excellent family.
Judge Swami called attention TO the
negro known as Professor Coey who
conducted cocaine den where white
women consorted with negroes In
illustrating the breaking down of all
sense of decency caused by cocaine he
told of daughter Of prominent New
York physician who had been found in
this den