Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-17
ny FREDERIC j. HAsIIIN.


WASHINGTON. April ia little
more than year has passed since the
Harrison antiunrcot!c law went into
effect. and Il Is nov possible in gone
dcgrc" 20 max" an accounting of IL
| There is no doubt but what ii has been
effective, and Il ~ also certain that
! It's success has been won a. a terrific
expense IN pain and crime. Thousands
OF persons HAY" suffered, and some OF
them have died, a. Al result, of being
deprived Of drugs TO which they had
been addicted Tor years. i whole sys-
tom Of smuggling has been built up
TO supply their iusistent demand. and
with this system the Federal officers
have waged "a drainatic battle.
The Harrison law has frequently been
referred 20 as the most comprehensive
and effective law yet devised FOR mini
MIXING the traffic in drugs. Il marks
an epoch in the h'Etory OF antinarcotIc
LEGISLATION b"caUs" Of tn" fact that -
provides new and original method
of controlling tn" manufacture. sale
and use OF prescribed drugs from tn"
Kim. they are imported uutl thcy
reach the consumer. u requires every
one WHO handles narcotics 70 register
pay a tax and Keep careful record OF
all transactions on forms sold by the
government. Being itSclf not a rcEu-
latory nor "a police measure. the Fed
"ral law cannot hc expected 20 take
the place OF the state laws designed
to restrict the sale and use Of habit
forming drugs. Leg islators. -"cogniz-
ma; the limitations uf The Federal law,
nav" during the past year "ndeaTorcd
TO elaborate on III" provisions OF th!S
law by III" enactment OF State laws
which woulr serve TO contrO! some Of
TIA" many features OF drug uhus. not
touched BY the Federal law.
Used IIrr"in tncons"iou>ls.
The day that TINS ncw las went Into
effect. "a promiuen; business man asked
TO HAY. u prescription rrtllcd at
Washington pharmacy. On INQUIRY hc
explained, iuuoccutly. that II had been
given him not hy his own physician
tn: by y physician Ia good standing III
New YORK. and always cured him Of
The grippe. lie admitted that lie telt
Erippy very often. The clerk told him
that under the new law the prcsCrip-
ton couid not be rc:ilicd as II con-
tanned hcroin. II was decided 20 NJ! II
without the hcroin. but the on"ct was
not as before lie longcd FOR tn" drug
~ had become accustomed To, and IL
took several months treatment 10 cure
him.
THIS druggist was OF $4,000 who
registered rs the law required and
whose aid was solicited IN enforcing
H. There were also 10000 physicians.
1000 dentists. 10000 veterinarians. -
600 hospitals and LOO Wholesale drug
Eists who registered under the law.
The cooperation OF nearly 100000 per-
sons was obtained III addition to tie
government officials and police whose
business IL Was To see the law car
Red out.
y short time after the law wen, into
effect. two young men slouchcd along
one OF tn. streets in New y ork's east
side. whose pale faces and twitchinE
lips showed they were in the agonE
That comes to the drug addict when
deprived Of his Stimuiant. y strange
"a . ~ pR,ri
English. explained that ne had sub
stitutc for cocaine which was twice as
effective With eager shaking hands
they counted out the price. seized the
tablets offered. and crushed them on
their tongues. Within ten minutes
both dropped scnsclcss. The overdose
of the powerful substitute was too
much for their weak bodies They died
within the hour. During that day ten
other men applied 10 the New York
police for treatment. They said that
the drug market had been cornercd and
only the wealthy could get a supply.
There were l.U2I users treated at the
metropolitan Hospital, New York, dur
ing TN" last six months of 1915. There
were siNty-thrce voluntary drug pa
ticnts at Bellevue during January OF
this year.
Drugs StiII Struggled.
The new law did from tho start
break up Il great deal Of the traffic IN
| so easily conquered. In The large
| cities the dope syndicatcS" have been
systematically smuggling and distribut-
| ing the drugs and have deiicd the law.
In a raid In San Francisco two Chinese
women were found guarding $4,000
worth OF Struggled opium. 1t was be-
lcvcd 10 have been shipped from Mex
leo. dropped off steamships through
portfolios Dy Chinese coolies at night
| IN tin casks. picked NJ by the opium
ring, and brought to the port I'm
launches II was then shipped TO IL
| depot on the waterfront. transferred
| 10 trunks and boxes, and sent to head
| quarters. The tin casks were painted
| black and could not he seen floating on
| the waves at night. In another In
stance, seventy cases OF opium, con-
tanning 100 nVc-tacl cans each, and
| valued at approximately S450.o00, were
Intercepted by customs officials. This
| is said to be the largest single seizure
| ever made in the United States.
But all Of the smuggling is not
| through ports of entry. The organiza-
| tons also work across the intcrna-
| tioual boundaries. The police believe
that the woman recently arrested in
Detroit and known as the Queen of
the Dopcs." is the head Of n gigantic
| organization which has been bringing
! in immense quantities from Canada.
The dope is brought in under nccktics,
! in false cigarettes or memo books. and
| In numerous other ways. One hunch-
back, who was arrested on suspicion,
was found not to BIO a hunchback at
| all. His hInch was to carry dope.
| Difficulty is also encountered on the
! Mexican line. One drug store in Juarcz,
Mexioo. WAS found to be shipping $500