The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1914-01-09
STATE DEPARTMENT
MAKES PROVISION
FOR CHRONIC USERS
PHYSICIANS AND DRUGGISTS
WILL TAKE CARE OF VIC
TINS OF DRUG HABIT.
REVOLUTIONARY BUT HUMANE
No Other State Has Ever Attempted
Such Progressive Action, and II ls
Looked on With Favor by Members
OF Medical Profession.

Looked on With Favor by Members
OF Medical Profession.
- ~
NASHVILLE, Jan. 3.-That the
state Of Tennessee will issue permits
to dope fends whereby they may buy
morphine from drug stores which
will not be molested by the state
board Of narcotics control for vio-
lation Of the antinarcotics law, is an
assured fact with the issuance Friday
of two forms. one certificate for
physicians and the other an applica-
ton from q habitual user Of NOR
phine to the narcotics board for per-
mission to have his prescription re-
filed. The physicians certificate
must be signed and sworn to by the
physician.
The issuing of this permit is abso-
lutely without a precedent in the his
tory Of anti-narcotic legislation in
the world. In Ohio. New York and
other states Of the Union having ad-
vanced laws on the subject no such
provision has ever been made and
habitual drug users must depend on
a physicians certificate for each in
dividual supply of the narcotic. Sew
eral prominent Nashville physicians
and druggists, when approached on
the subject of issuing these permits,
termed it revolutionary and some
thing new in medicine, but each ex-
pressed his qualification that some
provision had been made for confirm
ed users Of narcotics, for they contend
to take away the drug would be Grim
inally cruel. These users must have
the drug for the maintenance Of life
and reason, and the certificate or per
manent prescription will make it
much less. costly for them to obtain
drugs, as it will eliminate the neces-
sity of obtaining prescription form
a doctor each time the drug Is need
Cd.
A copy Of the physicians certif-
cate as sent ont from the ONCE Of
pure food and drugs insuector DR..
Lucius P. Brown Friday morning fol-
lows:
81. ......... q licensed doctor of
medicine in ............ county, do
hereby certify that-- the appli-
cant, for permit to refill prescription
which this affidavit accompanies, is
personally known to me to be reg
ular user of an opium compound, and
to have been such user thereof for
the term OF .......... years. In my
judgment the opium compound called
for by this prescription is absolutely
necessary to said applicant for the
of life and reason, or be-
cause of physical disability as fol-
lows: -. ......
THE applicant is above -. years
of age, and | regard it as useless for
same to take any treatment for the
cure of morphine disease. The appli-
cant requires the equivalent of about
...... grains Of morphine per month.
81 certify that the above statemnts
are true and correct, etc."
This statement must be sworn to
before a notary republic.
The drug user must then make an
application to DR.. r. @. Lillard, head
of the state board of health, and to
DR.. Lucius P. Brown, head Of the
state pure God and drug department,
these two composing the state board
of narcotic control.
The application for the drug users
permit is couched in the following
language
T........ do hereby apply to you
for permission to have refilled the
prescription for an
opium compound. / hand you here
with certificate of DIR. $3.50. that
require the same, and that I have
been a user Of the said drug for.
years." ft
Below this is space for the grant
ing of the permit by the board, and
this, when attached to the prescrip-
ton, will allow the unfortunate victim
OF the drug habit TO buy a certain
number Of grains Of his favorite OPT
ate at whatever drugstore he selects.