Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-11

to $50 heroin tablets dayt A man
who had been addicted to morphine for
thirty years said he started thru hypo-
dermic injections for cramps in the
stomach. M
Another suicide, that Of Mrs. Sabina
Duffy, As years old, who was found
dead in a gas filled room at 1349 West
Adams street. probably was due to In
ability to obtain more morphine, ac-
cording to the expressed belief OF her
husband, Edward NJ. Duffy.
v. s. to Help Dope Fisnds.
Washington. March 11.-Startled by
the numerous reports OF drug fiends
committing or attempting to commit
suicide and by the desperate condition
of dope users in Chicago and else
where, government officials took steps
Tuesday to rescue approximately
100000 unfortunates from their plight
resulting from the enforcement of the
Harrison narcotics law.
President Wilson and the treasury
department took action intended to
send drug victims to physicians Tor
treatment and to convince them that
the law does not deprive them entire-
ly of narcotics but merely regulates
the dispensation thereof.
President Wilson learned with
amazement Monday that for several
days the White House mail has been
clogged with heartrending personal ap-
peals from hundreds of men and wom-
EN- in all portions Of the country i'm
ploring a restoration Of the drug sup
ply>from which they believe themselves
cut off by the operation of the law.
Many of the writer's are persons Of
more than local prominence.
A large number Of the appeals came
from men and women who said they
were suffering from tuberculosis, can
Ger, and OTHER diseases and that only
opiates could ease the pain that must
be their portion in their ebbing lives.
Letters by Thousand.
Several thousands letters, not only
from disease afflicted persons but
from frankly confessed dope fiends,
have been received by the internal rev.
enue bureau of the treasury depart
ment, which is administering the new
law. The treasury officials have been
disturbed by the reports of drug field
suicides in various parts of the coun-
try since March 1, which bear out
the prediction of prominent physicians
published in the Chicago Tribune of
Feb. s last.
President Wilson referred the hun
dreds Of letters he received to the
treasury department with instructions
to do all that is possible to relieve
these unfortunates of their distress.
The department has called in an extra
force of employees to dispatch answers
not only to drug consumers but to
physicians and druggists seeking inter-
probation of the provisions of the law.
To the drug fends the department is
saying: The law does not deprive you
Of the drug but merely requires that
you shall obtain it from a. physician
authorized by the government to pre-
scribe 1t for medical purposes"
TO physicians the department says:
"The prescribing Of drugs to which the
Harrison law applies is discretionary"
The idea of the government officials
charged with the enforcement of the
law Is that dope fends shall be en-
couraged to apply to physicians for the
drug they have been using and that the
doctors shall seize the opportunity Z to
effect cure in every possible case.
Under the policy adopted by the de-
partment, therefore. physicians would
be warranted in prescribing the drug
in connection with the process Of a
cure.
Will Issue Statement.
On account Of the tremendous num-
Der of perplexing questions raised by
the attempt to enforce the law impair
TALLY, the treasury department will is
sue on, Thursday comprehensive in
depreciation of the statute and rulings
on all points so far presented.
The internal revenue bureau has
been working overtime solving the
novel problems presented by the effect
Of the law.
The osteopaths presented the depart
ment with a delicate question. They
wanted to be included in the classes Of
persons allowed to register for the dis
pensation of the opium and cocoa de-
rivative. The Massachusetts authori-
ties Immediately filed protest, alleg-
ing that, IL osteopaths were granted the
right to register, they would claim that
the federal government had recognized
their contention that~they were physic-
ians and entitled to all rights as such.
The department settled this question
by ruling that osteopaths could regis
lCI al dl SIdlCS. WAlS1l Class tlChl elo
physicians and accord them the right
to administer drugs.
Next came howl from the consum-
ers of paregoric. or at least from per-
sons vitality interested in such con-
sumption. The department found that
paregoric contained less than two
grains of opium to the ounce and there
fore was exempt from the application
of the law.
Physicians Among Victims.
That physicians themselves are con-
spicuous victims Of the drug habit may
be one OF the disclosures Of. the en-
forcement Of the law. If a physician
drug fiend keeps his books strictly in
compliance with the law 1t will be pos
si5le for an inspector to determine how
much he- has dispensed or prescribed
and how much he himself has con-
sumed. The department has been sup
piled withlthe results of an investiga-
ton by the New England Watch and
Ward Society, which disclosed that the
drug habit claims more victims among
the physicians than any other class.
HEN THIEF pRUGGED BIRDS.
Worcester Man Had Modern Silent
n r.