Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-01
DOPE FIENDS FLOCK TO
BLACKWELL ISLAND
Their Supplies Cut OF PiifuI
Victims Seek Relief In
Government Hospital


New York, Jan. 31.-Their supply of
cocaine, morphine and other kinds of
dope greatly curtailed by the federal
antelope legislation, hundreds of dop-
ers, men and women from all walks of
life, are floeking to this city and beg
ging or confessing their way into Blao'
well s Island penitentiary, where Pris-
on Physician DR.. Ernest F. Bishop is
having remarkable success in absolutely
curing the victims of habit forming
drugs. Two Broadway theatrical stars,
one o man and one woman, recently
went before a magistrate and confessed,
under assumed names, that they were
drug users, just so they would be sent
to the island. Both nave just emerged
from the voluntary prison term, cured.
1t is a common happening in magis-
trate's courts here now for dOpers to
walk in, ask to be arrested and con
fess so they will be sent to the prison.
However, there is no drug "cure" az
Blackwell's. Commissioner Of Corree-
tion Burdette G. Lewis says the same
cure should be effected by any intel
lgent and ordinarily competent physi-
clan who will quit looking upon hoppers
as the victim of habit and diagnose
each individual case from the stand
point of peculiarly individual disease
Said he: "There is no prescribed meth
cd followed by the city physicians DR.
Bishop is responsible for the record
made at the hospital. 1t was his theory
that drug taking, like the excessive
drinking of alcoholic stimulants, was
not habit, but disease. On that
hypothesis he began studying all drug
users committed to Blackwell's Islar
for cure, and made individual records
of each case.
No Regular System.
"The human system generates GER
tain amount of toxic poison to offset
the drugs which are taken by the users
but as no two human systems are alike
DR.. Bishop found that individual dag
nosis of each case was necessary before
he could prescribe an efficacious treat
ment. No two persons are treated alike
OF course, rest, exercise aud medicines
of one kind and another are part of III
treatment. No particular kind of drr,
is used / am sure, TO offset the cravi"'
for cocaine or morphine, or whatever
the patent was in the habit of usir"
Numerous persons have attempted to in
duce DR.. Bishop to say ne had a formal
treatment for all cases, but I know that
is not So One of the first things he
does, however, is to cleanse the system
of as much poisonous drug as possible. -
"Almost every day one or more come
here" said Mr.. Lewis. "There was
a man in here this morning who said he
wanted to rid himself of the drug habit
] advised him to 60 before Chief Mag
istrate McAdoo, plead guilty to using
drugs and be committed to Blackwell ;,
Island. He lost no time in doing so. -
Mr.. Lewis said the Eases admitted to
the Blackwell IS Island hospital revealed
that the amount of drugs obtainable
from illegitimate sources was small.
"There has not been case Of Sc
rious collapse from sudden cessation of
drugs admitted to the island in three
months now" he said "In the hos
pital today are seven women and six
men. A year and a half ago the ward,
which has a capacity Of 40, was always
filled aud we had a list of prisoners
awaiting treatment"