The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-01-29
The Drug Fiend

Inc Dfug TlclO
The recent discovery of an opium den in Rich
nond has startled us awake to the realization
that one of the most serious menaces to our
American society has entered our midst.
The use of opium and it's various derivatives
is increasing with amazing rapidity. Last year
100000 pounds was imported of this large
amount 100000 pounds manufactured
into morphine and used by the poor victims of
this merciless drug. These figures indicate that
this nation is consuming fifteen times much
as Germany Italy and Austria combined
New York City officials recently discovered
a cocaine ring in operation in one section of that
CITY. To their amazement the heads of this gang
confessed that last year they sold 81, 100
of the drug at $500 an ounce which means an
average of more than $50 ounces week. Sever
al drug stores were discovered to be distributing
the dope without requiring prescription from
physician.
Further investigation revealed the still more
startling fact that while morphine using has
honeycombed the underworld of New York, it
is now beginning to make inroads the better
classes of the town. This is simply an lllustra-
ton of the operation of that sociological law
which ordains that the city which does not de-
stroy it's slums will be destroyed by them.
il of using morphone and cocaine the Federal De-
partment of Agriculture has been making care
full Investigations throughout the country. This
investigation has brought out the fact that in
those states where morphine and cocaine are I'M
obtainabe, drug victims resort to the use of
heroin.
This devilish connection is derivative of
morphine: in fact it is nothing but the alkaloid
oe bo I,.1r ic than
morphine itself and it's victims find it more i'm
possible even to break their thralldom to it, An
overdose of heroin is always fatal and coroners
reports in these states mentioned are showing an
increasing number of such Deaths
PENNSYLVANIA is one of the states in which
dope fiencs are resortng to heroin. In one COM
munity of that state it was learned that single
drug store buys it's supplies in $4,000 tablet lots
Many proprietary medicines contain heron
The Federal Department has warned users to
read the labels in order to guard against unwit-
tlngly using the drug. They warn every person
against it and are planning steps to make the Sc
curing of it impossible except when ordered by a
physician.
It seems that negroes are especially suscepti-
BILE to morphine. This is due not to an especial
moral delinquency of the race but rather to their
nervous structure. Conscientious negro leaders
ere sweating over this problem and realize that
the drug habit is one of the greatest handcaps
on their race in America.
A certain number of drug fiends become adj
dcted during Illness When their suffering be-
comes intolerable they resort to opiates and if
their maady lasts long enough they awake some
day to find themselves in the clutches of NOR
phine Such victims are to be pitied and helped
rather than scorned and condemned.
Others resort to the habit from the influence
of friends. It is this that makes an opium den sc
great menace. The resort becomes, as it were
the center of contagion and no man can tell the
limits of its influence.
The chief attraction of the drug seems to lie
in it's power to stimulate and expand the imagi
nation. Perhaps this accounts for the hold that
it has upon great minds in some instances AS is
well known, such geniuses as Coeridge and De
Quincy victims of the habit
This no doubt explains why the morphine
habit spreads among the depressed classes
They find themselves under conditions so intol
cradle they fly to the dreamland of morphia fo
relief This suggests to us that morphine is ;
sociological as we'll as psychological question:
The Menace of Japan