Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-11
PHARMACY BOARD WILL
ACT IN HERON CASES
Sale of Habit-Forming Drugs by Cum
ningham and Childrey to Be
Discussed.
WANTS STATE Law AMENDED
Secretary Miller Says Sale OF Heroin
Should Be Put on Par With Co
caine-WaDts to Go After Whole
sale Dealers Who Supply Drugs.

Board of Pharmacy. said last night
that tho State Board Of Pharmacy
would soon begin n campaign to Sc
mako the illegal sale Of heroin a
felony. putting traffic in that habit
forming drug on the same basis as the
sale of cocaine. Another statute to
be sought by the board OF pharmacy
will make 1t a felony for physician
to prescribe excessive amounts OF any
habit-forming drug.
The necessity of such laws has been
clearly proved by the recent develop
ments of tho police crusade against
the traffic In these drugs, Mr.. Miller
holds. and he said that every effort
would be made TO have more stringent
laws enacted. There has not been a
decided increase In the traffic OF late.
in the opinion of Mr.. Miller but more
OF the operations have been made pub
lie, and tho citizens of the city. as well
as the State, are Just realizing the
extent Of the evil.
LONG SUSPECTED THAT
TRAFFIC. IS A LARGE ONE
Tho State Board of Pharmacy has
suspected for Ions time that the
traffic was "A largo ono. and We have
been assisting the police in their in
vestigations in quiet way for some
time. IT was through the detectives
that we were able TO secure the evil
dence relating TO tho prescribing OF
these drugs as we'll az the illegal sale
Of them by druggists and now that
the public has been informed OF these
operations. think that the laws will
be passed with littlo or no opposition.
Up to the recent arrests OF a ply
sician and two druggists. the public
seemed to think that negroes were
the only persons engaged I'm selling
and dispensing habit-forming drugs;
hut when the druggists admit their
guilt In court of law and the ply
siciun is making every effort to build
Up defense for himself then we
have foundation upon which to 60.
While the great part of tho police
evidence appears 10 have been con.
nected with the men arrested, / am
81 the opinion that there are perhaps
others In tho State who have illegally
dispensed ono or another of these
drugs. and they should be dealt with
80 tho law specifies.
n,NORANT NEGROES IN PRISON
WHILE WHOLESALERS GO FREE
TT Is the men higher up whom We
seek TO BET. I DO not think IT right
10 have moro than forty ignorant
negroes serving sentences III tho state
Penitentiary at the present time for
Tho illegal sale OF cocaine when tho
men responsible for those salcs--the
he drngs-are walking the streets as
roe men and living the lives of APP
paCently reputable citizens. They are
ouch more guilty than the men ar
rcstcd inrmy opinion, and hope to SEQ
he passage of laws which will enable
TO reach them.
Tho differences in the law. The feet
mat the sale OF heroln is n misde-
Hicanor, and that OF cocaine is a fell
"ny. is responsible for the recent In
creased number of sales Of the former
uamcd drug, l believe. The criminals
iically the same effect can be secured
through the use Of the heroin, and
no well aware OF the fact that they
ran much less danger In dealing in II
iNther than In cocaine. For this rca-
son II Is Imperative that tho laws he
made similar. with regard to their
p"nalties, IL the general public is TO
he protected against all habit forming
.'ruEs.
rW:sENT STATUTE
WAS A COMPROMISE
Zach Of the present laws was SC
cured MS result Of compromise be-
between the board and the smaller
merchants OF the State. These merch.
ants secured large backing In the
General Assembly, and held that the
board and the larger druggists Of the
state werc endeavoring to monopolize
the trade. This was far from the idea
of the board. We realized ten years
ago what conditions were. and believed
that adequate laws should he provided
10 restrict the traffic and 70 protect tho
public.
ihe country merchant had former
~ been allowed to sell drugs on pro-
scriptions and to carry certain modi-
ttnes In stock. and II was because tho
law would prohibit him from doing 30
tod -
these merchants was 80 strong that the
passage OF any law would have been
indefinitely postponed had We not CON-
scented to discriminating between GER
tain or tho drugs. This accounts for
the present situation.
WILL CONSIDER CASES OF
CUNNINGHAM AND CHILDREY
I do not know what the State Board
OF Pharmacy will do with respect to the
druggists who recently admitted selling
heroin illegally. Tho matter will GER
tanlly come before the board at It's
next meeting. but, of course I cannot
say what action will be taken. The
fact that reputable physicians Of tho
city have refused to testify in cases
where prescriptions of another physi-
clan form part Of the evidence has
greatly handicapped us. Many of the
physicians with whom I have talked
are of the opinion that excessive ouan
tlties OF heroin arc being prescribed,
hut for professional reasons they are
unwilling to testify to that effect in
court.
Why" concluded Mr.. Miller, "Mr.
Brands, secretary OF tho board, has on
hle prescriptions calling for quantities
OF heroin which would last the most
confirmed user of the drug a week. 1t
appears to be a case of physicien en-
deavoring to cure patient of the drug
10
his hands, and telling him TO use so
much day. Such q practice Is absurd
when one knows the craving for more
whlch every drug user possesses 7
nave enlisted the aid of a number of
people In the boards efforts to secure
netter drug laws. and we will make
w., .ho'r passage one OF the big fights of