The Washington herald., 1915-02-20

! tons for local application" the prescrip-
I tions being undated and bearing different
! and fictitious names. in order that the
/ physician may claim that he gave the
! prescriptions to different patients and
at different times. and throw upon the
officers of the law the burden of proof
| TO the contrary.
4 Obtaining the drug in large
quantities from local or out-or-
town wholesale drug houses which fur
nish the drugs to licensed physicians for
professional use. and selling it AT
handsome profit to victims of the habit
Obtaining it from local drug
Eists on a prescription for pro-
fessional use" and selling it to victims
e EfectinG a working agreement
with dishonest druggists or drug
clerks. by which the physician prescribes
only in harmless quantities. but the drug
gist. instructed over the telephone. fur
nishes the holder of the prescription with
whatever amount he will pay for.
Druggists ar" required by the pha rmacv
act 10 register and retain. subject to in
speCtiOn By the police all prescriptions
calling for habit-fOrminC drugs. The
above citations make it evident how easy
it is for dishonorahle physicians to ohvi-
ate this light check on their Illicit pre-
sCriDtions
authenticated in due time in the form
Of sworn affdnvits which The Herald
will offer in their proper place.
The Herald feels that il is performing
a public duty in exposing conditions here
in all their badness. and that ii has the
right to expect the support of the COM
munity it is trying to protect and safe
guard.
This morning. in order that the readers
Washington
fully tn" size and scope of the drug prob
lem. Tho Herald presents careful ana
exhaustive survey of the problem in its
rational aspects
The facts herein presented were arrived
at after months Of Investigation and by
consultation with officials IN WASHINGTON
who had made a previous study and rad
a special knowledge of the drug ,lab:t.
Collectors of customs have added their
store of information; reports have been
received from tn, State boards of phar-
macy and public health: also from the
police DEPARTMENTS in most of our cities;
advice WAS sought from over leo of our
most learned physicians and surgeons.
and from the heads of our national
medical associations and State branches.
one of the most reliable sources of
informa ton was reports from State pris-
ons, jails, and houses Of correction
throughout the country. The average
of reports from twenty five of our States
seems TO show that about per cent of
prisoners who enter our jails and State |
prisons are addicted to the opium habit |
in some one Of its forms. and that of the !
general criminal population 45.4s per cent |
are habitues
The average of reports from these |
States shows that 21.6 per cent of un- ;
fortunate women and their hangers !
on are addicts.
In the medical profession of this same |
territory there appears 10 be an aver
age of 2S per cent who use opium in !
some one of its forms. Among the |
trained nurses the percentage is 1.32 |
OF the other professional classes in the |
twenty-five States that have been used |
as a basis of calculation 1t would seem
that there is 0.ss4 per cent of opium ad-
diets and that among the general adult |
is. including all our
ADULT population outside those already
per cent.
Statistical statements made by reliable
show that the use Of NOR
phine in the rural districts of some Of
Dur Eastern States has increased 100 per
cent in the last ten years.
A canvass has been made Of some 1000
II the leading physicians and surgeons
or the country, also Of many of the large
hospitals: the opinion Of the medical
profession Is unanimous that the use of
medicinal opium and its derivatives ana
preparations by the medical profession
q much less than It was ten years ago.
Medical opinion II also unanimous that
there has been . much heavier import
Of crude or medicinal opium into the
United States than could be used in
legitimate medical practice The loves,
made. ~ to the number of |
pounds per annum of this form Of opium