The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-12
MORE DRASTIC STEPS
AGAINST GIVING Of
dope" PRESCRIPTIONS
Inspector Grassy Says All Machinery
At Revenue Departments Dis
posal WIN Be Used.
TELLS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL USE
No Longer Legal to Refill Prescrtp-
ton Containing Narcot1cs-Drug
Addicts Sink TO Condition Of Degra-
dalton Cnspeakable.

Speaking last night OF the many
cases Of men and women who are ad-
dicted to the habit Of using drugs. J.
H. c. Grasty. Of the United States Rev
enue Department. said that cases of
this sort he has come in contact with
are not hopeless. But" he said, "as
long As physicians continue to write
dope prescriptions and druggists con-
tinue to all them people OF this sort
will continue taking morphine and
cocaine and be . burden not only to
their relatives and themselves. but to
the community At large.
After a conference with Revenue
Agent 8. r. Brame. who la In charge
OF all the work done by tho Revenue
Department Of Virginia, II has been de-
cided to adopt more drastic measures to
suppress evil. From now on whsnsvre
i find dope prescriptions that have not
been written in good faith" as re-
quired by law. l shall have the ply
stefan who wrote them arrested and
shall have arrested the druggist who
flls them.
We want to make II perfectly clear
that this. OF course. does not refer to
the legitimate narcotic prescription
that is written by reputable physicians.
But 1t does apply to the dope pre-
scripttons that are written for any
one and everyone having the price
to pay for II. One does not have to
be a druggist or a physician to diff
cotic prescription that 10 intended to
alleviate pain and suffering and a
plain dope prescription.
Conditions Unspeakable.
The average man or woman has lit
~.
under which these dope hends live
of culture and refinement have sunk
to the lowest depths OF degradation
through the continual use OF narcotics.
Neither Mr. Brame nor myself cares
to put people in Jail for the fun of 1t.
but we are sincerely and deeply inter-
ested in these unfortunates and we
are trying to help them by breaking Up
the traffic. There IL no other way In
which We can. We are going to do
this no matter whom It hits Nor
phine and cocaine are legitimately
used to alleviate pain and suffering or
in the treatment of incurable diseases.
but when these drugs are dispensed
to men and women to crafty their de-
sires or to create jag We Are go
ing to prosecute and prosecute ,vigor-
ously. And we are going to hold all
offenders to a strict accountability. II
It takes all the government machinery
at our disposal to do IT.
In making this statement. Mr.. Gras-
ty took pains to emphasize "all offend
ers" and all machinery" of the gov
eminent.
How Habit Was Acquired.
Mr.. Grasty stated that in his opinion
the Harrison Act had been passed pri-
marily for the protection OF the pub
lie as well as for tho protection of
confirmed habitues. Before the pas
sage Of the Harrison Act" said Mr..
Grasty. many people acquired the dope
habit through the refilling OF narcotic
prescriptions. For instance. II Mr..
Jones' had a slight attack of rheuma-
tism or lumbago. the probabilities were
that his physician would prescribe an
opiate. which. Of course. gave relief
Mr.. Jones not knowing what the pre-
scription contained. would compliment
his physician as n great diagnostician.
have the prescription renlled. gradu-
ally Increase the dose a. time went by.
probably switching to laudanum. and
finally to the inevitable morphine and
the needle
The Harrison Act prohibits the re-
filing of narcotic prescriptions and has
kept thousands or people from uncon-
sciously acquiring the habit. Many
men and women of the upper glasses
have taken the cure. Some have gone
to private hospitals and some to stAte
Institutions. We have sent . number
of those who could not afford to 70 to
private sanitariums to State and mu-
nicipal hospitals. These are the peo-
pie who need help most. In many
cases they are friendless. having been
turned adrift. or rather turned them
selves adrift by their conducG until
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