Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-27
ANT|DRUC LAW WEIGHS
| LESS HEAVILY ON NEGROES
City Homo Records Show Only One
Colored Patient Treated
for Habit.
WHITE CASES ARE NUMEROUS
Thirty-Seven White Cases Treated
to One COlored, Lead to Inference
That Negroes Continue to BE Sup
piled IllicitIy.

Records Of the drug addiction cases
treated mt the City Home since the
PRONUNCIATION OF the Harrison Anti
Narcotic law on March l, compiled by
DR.. G. a. Ezekiel. I'm charge OF tho
medical treatment OF these cases. show
that moro than 81 per cent of tho
patients OF this class treated at tho
city institution were white. OF the
thirty eight cases that have come UNI
der DR.. Ezekicrs care since March 6,
when tho special ward was opened,
only one was colorcd.
Assuming that the races have como
to the city institution for relief in
proportion to tho number of drug vic
tins in each. tho City Home records
lead to interesting conclusions II
these are correct they upset the popu-
lar belief that addiction to drugs Is
more prevalent among negroes than
among whites.
SAYS HARRISON LAW Is
% PER CENT EFFICIENT
III 1t Is true. and ] believe Il is, that
the Harrison law is % per cent en-
Gent, said Dr.. Ezekiel. yesterday.
"then the overwhelming proportion of
white cases as compared with colorcd
treated at the City Home can be cx-
planned only on three hypothesis First.
the colorcd race may possess a coarser
nervous organism and for that reason
may ieei less severely the deprivation
brought ahom, by the new law
II drug addiction Is rs common
among negroes as among whites. and
the nervous effects arc practically tho
same with both, then We have to as
sumo that either tho colorcd drug uscrs
arc oeing supplied i!licitly. or that they
arc enduring their suffcrinCs without
rcsorting to the city for aid. depending
moro generally perhaps on private
treatment. The third hypothesis is
that't the colored people. or Richmond
NJ least, are loss addicted 10 the drug
h,pit IN It's acutcst form than are tho
white people. and suffer less therefore
from being deprived OF IT,"
while the conclusions encnuragod b,-
inc experience Of the CITY Home noint
10 a greater prevalence of the drug
naolt among whites than among
negroes. the experience Of tho police
ieads TO contradictory conclusion
Arrests for law violations tr,cc,hIo
10 drug addiction in violent form have
bccn TAR moro numerous among col
ored than among white people.
NEGRO Is USUALLY
VICTIM OF COCAINE
IT is pointed out that the negro ia
most frequently the victim of the CO.
came. or cucainc, habit Police rec
80. ""' VI" statement that at
least 90 pcr cent OF negro cocaine mr.
cucaino users obtain their SUNNY
liIicitly. Despite the combined cnorts
or the local and Federal ,utboritIc.
tho traffic In cocaine and cucairo COW
unucs. presumably supplying n large
NUMBER or negroes addicted to tho uso
OF tnese drugs. and in this manner prc
venting them from coming to tho mo-
ticc of the City Home.
rms explanation is given color he
the fact that Of the thirtv-o;rbt coec,
treated at tho CITY Homo, fifteen were
t"r inc morrhinc habit The negro as
user OF morphine, ii is stated {.
rare. Twenty one Of tho potionts 49,
treated for addiction to tho nee ot
Iaudanum. This form Of addiction 4.
iar more common among negroes tban
the morphine habit. Two patients were
treated for addiction to the use q,
Squibh's mixture.
In the light of tho City Home and
police records tho most commonly nc
cepted explanation Of tho small nor
centage Of Colorcd drug addiction.
ireatch Mt tho city institution. is that
inc negro drug users have access IN =,
Supply which III" white victims Of the
drug habit do not enjoy.
HARRISON LAW HARDEST
ON WHITE DRUG USERS
The acute sufYcrings of the white
ply is further explained by the fact
that before tho stringent rcru,ationa
went into effect they obtained thcir
drugs through regular channels. nos.
S"SSinG, IN larger proportion than
the negroes. tho means to consult
physicians and specialists In the casc
OF negro drug users. however. the co
caine and cucainc supply was usually
obtained surrcptitiously even before
inc stringent Harrison act went into
effect. and Ia still so obtained
Under tho direction of the Adm;,js-
trative Board. the city Of Richmond
established special ward for tho
treatment OF drug addiction within six
DAYS after the new law went into Of
rect: The acute suffering visited on
confirmed drug users by the sudden
cutting off OF tho supply prccipitated
nm unusual condition which the Adj
mintstrativc Board met promptly.
The treatment employed at the CITY
Home involves tho uso Of the partIcu-
lar drug to which the patient is adj
dictcd. in diminishing quantities I'D to
point when the supply is cut off COM
pletcly. The patient then receives n
special hypodermic treatment and Is
kept In state closely resembling the
much discussed twilight sleep" for
from thirty-six to sevcnty-two hours
In most OF the cases the patients have
been apparently permanently cured Of
their addiction.
Charged with Theft from Hont.
Abe Siegel, sixteen years old was
arrested yesterday by Policeman Du-
gan on n warrant charging him with
stca ling an electric coil from n boat
belonging to Everett Anderson. The
boy Will he arraigned in the Juvenile