The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-07-13
Medical Society win Cooperate
With Federal Authorities To
Abolish Vicious Practise
CERTAIN PHYSICIANS
n IN NEFARloUS TRaFFIc
Collector Of Internal Revenue
. Also Gets Support Of Ter r,4
ritOrial HsaIth Board

aAfatH Nfttff.
Physicians who abuse the high priv.
ileges of their profession by pandering
to the infirmities Of drug aaafcts ar,
known 70 the federal aothoritfesrl o.
Hawaii There are not manggsf them,
and the department of internal ,resepue,
which has them under surveillance, u
not permitted to make public thFir
names, but how they deal, with wn m
and in what amounts is matter = Of
record. gftl ~, d
There is an established commercial
tariff for the traffic in prescriptions for
habit forming drugs, such as opium
morphine, cocaine aad other narcotics
a minimum charge Of Ave dollars, an
onneei is made. 4 Above that, amount
the price goes up fifty cents an .onnee
Ceftain physicians have been in ,tbf
habit Of furnishing their customers with
prescriptions calling FOR, opium in poups
lots, and It's, liquid Internationally ,tht
gallon. After satisfying hisown cray,
lug, the addict would retail the remain
der Ito other habitnes at enormous pro
fts, running sometimes as high as five
and, six, hundred per cent. srnr,r 20
Huge Profit IN ;Pilis's tislfa ~
One opium smoker had a fully fur
nished ttdive,S with hunks and ''lay
outsil for six. He bought his opium
regularly in commercial qua ptities, o.
physiciang prescriptions. from drnf
store, worked itanpt into shape foi
smoking and sold il by the SPILL a
a huge profit. = ,{,, IN. ..s&, =.
The physician who supplied him was
of course; his indirect partner. Drul
torres are NOT allowed to fih the SAM
prescription for narcotics more thai
once, but by prescribing in luml
amounts, it has been possible to evad'
the law.
Since the passage. Of the Harrison
Narcotic Act at the last session of con
gress, nation-wid campaign to in
ure its enforcement has been, inaugu
rated. For the past two months, Johl
+. Haley, internal revenue collector
has been working throughout the Ter
ritory to stamp out the traffic in naT
eotic drugs.
,a, BY unanimous vote, the members o
the Medical Society Of Hawaii, at
weli-attended meeting last Friday night
decided to cooperate with the interna
revenue department and the territoria
board of hath.
ofHcis's Explain Law
Twice within the past two months
! Collector Haley and his chief deputy
Ralph 8. tombstone, have been invite
! by the society to attend its meeting
and explain the workings of the ne'
Act.
At the meeting held last Friday
Collector Haley asked whether it wa
the practise of physicians honestly il
tent upon curing drug addicts to pre-
scribe narcotics in pound or gallon LOT
cor their patients.
The question brought ont n stron
reply from DIR, Irving j.. Shepher'
presiding, and Doctors, Jackson, He'd,
man, Hobby, Wood and others joine
I him in depouncinR such practise.
~ am willing to pay $1,000" Do
tor Hobby is reported to have. sal
"for every case of drug habit that
cannot cure within five days. Thu
is, I can destroy all physical cravir
COR drugs within that time. The pt
tihnt may return to his vice, but NJ
from any physical necessity. ! a
not speaking from theory, but fro
practical experience. | know it ca
be done bacuse 1 have done it.
What is more, see no reason wi
anv physician engaged in the legitima
. practise Of medicine should issue
, prescription for drugs to any fend.
never have done it, do not intend
DO it and have ordered that class
patients from my office"
After discussion bad made mantle
g the sense of the meeting, it was NOV
3 and unanimously resolved that the &
}. cietv cooperate to the utmost of
3 ability in aiding the department
( internal revenue and the board
e health to make it impossible for 81
g nosedly reputable physicians to pro
deliberately by supplying drug hen'
y With this cooperation. assured, the
J. nartment believes the traffic can
k stamped out in comparatively She
n order:
8 Chief Deputy tombstone ably assist
o Collector Haley in explaining the VOL
>. ings Of the new law,