The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-03-16

only drug Tor which IN absolute toll
srsnce can DO established. here
mean to define tolerance "a the per
mission and willingness OF the hu
man body 10 be used - . storehouss
for 4 drug. There are other drugs
such q dleitali6. that will accumu
late IN the human body; but the
body cannot and will not accommo-
date itself TO their presence In &C
cumuIated amoAnts, hence they
prove poison. Possibly there are 9th.
ere, but opium 10 the only drug
| know Of for which the human body
e willing 10 become Z storehouse.
After . fun accumulation Of opium
has once been established. II must
thereafter be kept up. The human
machinery will quickly rebel at any
reduction below that point. This
complete and continual saturation
with the drug becomes. a. II we're,
. second nature with the addict;
hence each additional dose has no
immediate or appreciable influence
no euphoris, only aiding In keeping
up the store on hand.
But why shouldn't one get accus-
toned TO alcohol. cocaine, or chloral
In the same way! Simply because
these agents do not accumulate In
the system 10 does opium. but are
quickly eliminated therefrom. All
three Of them are rather loose chem.
icals. and are. therefore. easily
broken up In the system and quick
y gotten rid of. Thus broken up.
they are eliminated by the lungs,
the kidneys, and the skin. and can
rarely be recovered In the same
chemical conditions in which they
were consumed. On the other hand.
opium and its derivatives are stored
up an such In the body, and ~ such
are eliminated mainly by way of the
intestinal canal. and can be recov-
cred In all their original chemical
purity. Like rsdium. opium exercises
its powerful and prolonged infiu-
ences while passing through the
body, but loses none of its substance
In such transit.
90 transitory 10 the euphoria OF CO
caine. and so rapid ia Its elimination.
that II one would keep continually
under its influence. he must keep al
most continually injecting II. have
seen more than one cocaine fend
take his syringe. fully loaded with q
solution Of cocaine, and inject few
drops at q time. without withdraw.
Ing the needle. until the last drop
had been injected--thus prolonging
the effects Of the drug over q period
Of an hour or more with only one
needle wound. have done II my.
self.
Given an opium or morphine basis
in the system. and cocaine may be
used periodically. may be used much
one day and but little another. Every
intelligent morphine-cocaineist un-
derstands the fundamental difference
between his two drugs. namely. that
his morphine 10 necessity and
must be used with some degree OF
regularity, and that his cocaine Is
q luxury only, to be or not 20 be In
dulged 10.
As to choral In this regard. let me
say that II Is the most loosely COM
bined chemical Of them all. and the
most easily eliminated. Every time
the chronic choral user wakes up Of
q morning from his chloraliEed sleep.
the choral IL all gone. Therefore. It
will produce the same effect the next
night, and the next, and so on indef-
initely, or until a physical infirmity
10 ydeveloped--as In my own case
that prohibits It's further use. There
is absolutely no physical necessity
or desire begotten for the drug ex-
cepting the necessity or desire for
sleep. So much for choral.
Now what about our old friend al
cohol In this regard? This drug ex.
ercises many peculiar manifesto
tons. not least among which IL its
power to produce its euphoria over
and over again indefinitely. Within
the human body IT, chemical disor.
ganization Ia not so easily accom-
plished "a Ia that of cocaine or chic
raj. But. owing to its volatile ma
ture, II Is fairly easy Of elimination.
In fact, when . man gets on q Jas
every eliminating function Of his
body Immediately gets busy In or
der to save him from disaster. No
man would ever recover from the
toxic effects Of an alcoholic spree
were II not for this rapid elimina-
tion. Old Noah would not have
awakened from his drunken stupor
TO condemn Ham and his posterity
70 perpetual servitudc.
Thus have tried to show you how
these several drugs. cocaine. chloraI
ana alcohol. unlike opium, do not 90
cumuiate IN the systsm In any ap-
preciable quantities: and that.
therefore. their primary effects. or
eubhorias. may BE- experienced over
and ,ver again, no matter for how
long taken. Also that their habitual
use II. therefore. . matter Of habit
only. and never becomes q necessity.
whereas the habitual use Of opium
soon ceases TO be q habit and does
become An abNO1utA necessity.