Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-11
HOSPITALS OPEN
10 DRUG VICTIMS
UNITED STATES TO RECEIVE
USERS AND GIVE
TREATMENT.
APPEALS FROM EVERYWHERE
BY SLAVES TO DOPE
Victims Fear Effect Of Being Suddenly
. Deprived Of Drugs and Apply For
Assistance in Efforts 70 Combat
Cravings oovsrnmsn Plans to ls-
sue Statement Concerning New Law.

Chicago, March 11.-The United
States government in Washington cut
red tape to meet the emergency facing
the nation in the treatment of drug
victims.
Surgeon General Blue announced
that he will open the twenty-five ma
rine hospitals in the country for the
treatment of drug victims wherever
the state and city authorities request
him to do So These institutions will
be available for this special purpose to
the full extent Of their available ca
pacity in excess of the needs Of their
regular patients. The public health
service will do its utmost to alleviate
the agonies that unnumbered thou
sands OF drug victims must encounter
within the next sixty days as the re-
suit Of forced deprivation of their
drugs by the Harrison act.
All medical authorities and physi-
clans should cooperate to afford the
means Of cure to the thousands of drug
victims reported to be appealing for
Ambulance to hospitals" says DR.. Blue.
Whenever city and state authorities
desire 1t the marine hospitals will be
opened for the treatment Of drug vic
tins to the full extent Of the available
capacity in excess Of the needs of
regular patients. This will permit
considerable addition to the total avail
able hospital capacity in cities where
the marine hospitals are located"
Welcome In, Says Dr.. Cobb.
DIR. Juiius+O. Cobb, surgeon in charge
Of the United States Marine hospital
at 4141 Clarendon avenue, was elated at
the prospect of caring for drug slaves.
He said out Of 10 beds in the hospital
at present, only seventy are occupied,
and that he believed conditions in the
other twenty one marine hospitals to
average even more favorably.
DR.. H. /. Davis of the psychopathic
department Of the county institution,
asserted the thirty beds a week which
he has available for drug cases will
be only scratch on the surface OF our
needs when It IL estimated that there
are at least 10000 drug users in Chi
cago alone who will be crying for aid
within two months"
Federal Aid Needed.
DR.. Davis said federal aid was i'm
peratiye to meet the situation and
urged the immediate convocation of
representatives Of national, state, and
city health boards to organize for the
emergency and establish receiving
stations for victims for help floods ex-
listing agencies Of treatment.
city Health Commissioner Young,
who Is on furlough from the public
health service. said getting drug vic
tins into the marine hospital would re-
quire the calling Of special session
Of congress and perhaps an amend
ment to the federal constitution.
But DR.. Cobb at the marine hospital
saw loophole in the law.
"Any patients may be admitted Tor
purposes OF study" explained DR.. Cobb.
Il believe that the study of drug VIC
Tins valuable from medical stand
point"
surgean General Blue agreed with
this interpretation and his acquiescence
was immediate.
Hundred in 1rideweil.
"A hundred drug victims have been
admitted to the bridewell since the
Harrison law went into force, and at
the present rate of daily increase SUI
perintendent whitman soon will be
forced to send out the s. o. s. sign.
A telegram from Peoria last night
told Of twenty commitments to the
drug ward OF the state hospital there.
thirteen Of the victims being women
and seven men, all from Peoria.
Eight drug victims have been adj
mitted to the state hospital at Kanka-
kee, six being from Chicago, one from
Kankakee, and ono from Champaign.
At Jacksonville, four drug victims were
admitted. At Dunning, where the hos
pital already Is 80 overcrowded as to
necessitate the placing Of mattresses on
the floor. three women and one man
were admitted for treatment for drug
additions.