The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-03-16
Autobiography Of a Drug Fiend
Copyright 1915. by


Dr.. John Harrison Hughes. . psae-
eicisiha physician Of San Jose. CaL.
lei " sns . trans story" story Of his he
Without reserve--how ne won tns
battle.
NO. l4-eUPHoRiA or DRUGS
In previous chapters have al
ready told you that the mental en-
altation and sense of physical we'll
being that obtains during the hrst
few weeks or months OF the habit
uai use Of opium does not continue
throughout the subsequent years OF
addiction. Please get that statement
( we'll hxed in your minds. Why? BE-
cause many good people. including
both physicians and lawmakers, b.
lieve that the confirmed opium user
IL merely catering to vicious habit
from which he derives some sort OF
an abnormal pleasure. Such a charge
can truthfully be made against the
habitues Of cocaine, and, In . mea'
sure, AGAINST those Of alcohol; hut
never against those of opium. Inc
opium user must take his drus. he
would die. or suffer all the agonies
OF cruciixion, II he didn't. This ne
knows-and he also knows that ne
no longer experiences the slightest
euphorial effect following fresn
dose.
BY way OF comparison In this re-
eard, let us now consider alcoholic
liquors. No matter for how long. or
In what quantities an individual has
consumed such liquors. he can still
experience the alcoholic euphoria-
he can still get drunk. II may take
more than at the beginning TO pro-
duce such an effect: but. even
though the alcoholic habitue has for
so years been in close communion
with his favorite beverage. he can
. still get glorious old Jag" on--he
can still get the euphoria.
But not 90 with opium. That siren
admits her victim to the luxurious
ness OF her embraces only for such
4 time AZ is necessary to make him
her slave. Then she fades away.
leaving him to continually pay her
tribute for the right to live only.
Now let us take the case Of CO
eaine. / have already represented
Il to you as the most seductive OF
drugs--but that depends. To get
that seductiveness there must be a
supporting quantity OF opium or
morphine already In the system. A
joy-giving amount OF cocaine cannot
otherwise be taken--it would prove
almost instantly fatal II It were.
Let me see II can explain this
dangerous and sometimes fatal ef-
feet OF cocaine when administered
to o person not under the steadying
influence OF an opiate. II will be
remembered that In relating my per
sonal experiences following the sud
den withdrawal Of my morphine.
while q patient in DR.. C.'s one-pill-
cure sanatorium. have already
told you how my heart ran riot
when no longer under its restraining
control. How respiration became dis
tressingly rapid. shallow. irregular.
and unsatisfying from the same
cause. Now. that Is just about what
happens to a person, not under the
inhibitory influence Of opium or NOR
phine, when full physiological dose
OF cocaine is hypodermically admin
istered, because Il destroys the nor
NAL inhibitory control of respiration
and circulation.
But, you say. IL cocaine IL so dan
gerous a. all that. how about It's In
discriminate use In dental practice.-
why doesn't II kill therei Occa-
sionally Il does: and when II does
the physician, hurriedly called In
from an adjoining office perhaps.
gives q certificate of death from
heart failure. Should the case 60 to
coroner's Jury. 1t renders the same
verdict. The doctors certificate is
correct. The jury's verdict IL cor
rect. But II was the cocaine that
caused the heart failure-which
fact does not appear in the Doctors
+ certificate nor In the jury's verdict.
The reason why so few deaths oc-
cur in the dental chair ID because
suficient cocaine to produce such
result In rarely used on single pa
tient at a single sitting. Let us say.
for instance. that the dentist In
using a Ave per cent solution. Now,
II would take syringeful t20 min
jms) OF such solution to equal one
grain of cocaine The human gum
IL very tough and closely woven
mass Of tissue. Its interstices will
not hold very much liquid. Only q
drop or two can be forced In at any
slngle point of injection. and most
Of that runs back out when the
needle In withdrawn--but suflcient
remains to produce monentary 10
cal anesthesia.
However. the euphoria Of cocaine
r. not produced BY such an amount.
nor by any amount. excepting in the
physiological presence OF An opiate.
But. with an opium basis already In
: the system. cocaine never fails to
give its soul.inspiring and halluci.
mating euphoria. Thus we see II is
the combined effects of these two
drugs that produces the cocaine