Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-03-09
new DRUG CURE
PROVES SUCCESS
Treatment by Former Naval Sur
geon General Is Effective in
rs Cases.
DRUNKARDS ARE ALSO SAVED
One Patient, a Mere Human Shell, Is
Able to Walk in 48 Hours-To
Be Made Public After 100
Cases Are Treated.

New YOrk.-A new treatment for
drug addicts and drunkards which ap-
pears to be of remarkable efficiency Is
being used at Warwick Farms, the 800
acre retreat maintained by the city
in Orange county for inebriates and
other derelicts.
The remedy, or system of treatment,
has been in use about three weeks. 1t
has been applied to % drug users.
each of whom has rapidly gained
weight, has lost his craving for narcOt-
les and stimulants and has acquired q
normal appetite.
The treatment was devised by DR..
Charles f. Stokes, superintendent of
Warwick Farms. Doctor Stokes stand
ing In his profession is lofty; he has
served in many city hospitals, he was
surgeon general of the navy under both
President Roosevelt and President
Taft, and he has attained distinction
as the author of many monographs on
military and general surgery. For
the past two years he has had charge
of the medical work at Warwick
Farms, and most of bis interest lay.
in the treatment of habitual drug
users.
Note to Justice kernochan.
Most of the work of the farms here
tOfore has been in building up the
strength of drunkards and narcotic
victims after medical treatment had
been given in city hospitals. Doctor
Stokes desire to acquire patients upon
whom to try the treatment was respOn
sible for knowledge of his cure be-
coming public prematurely, for he
wrote to Justice Frederic KernOchan
of special sessions asking that a
number of drug addicts be sent d.
rect to the farms to try the new treat
ment.
Doctor Stokes declined to discuss
the treatment on the ground that to
do so would be unethical; that If the
cure proves satisfactory it will be
made public in the recognized ethical
way, /. e., through paper read to the
Academy Of Medicine. Charles Sam
son, executive secretary Of the board
of inebriety, which conducts the farms,
adopted the same attitude.
The letter to Justice Kernochan
asked that the worst cases be sent
to try the treatment. The cure will
not be made public by Doctor Stokes
until he has treated and cured at least
100 cases.
| No Failure In rs Cases.
However, there has been no failure
so far in the % cases that have been
treated. The cure causes no suffer
ing. and the acute symptoms are re-
moved liz from two to three days. One
of the patients had used morphine for
seven years and was in state Of col
lapse when he was sent to the farms
After 4S hours he was able to walk
around, and when the treatment was
stopped he did not know 1t. Other
methods require from ten days to
three weeks before the cure is eff.
fective.
Some of those under treatment
gained ten pounds in a week. All
these cases will be kept at the farm
for two months for observation. The
increased number of addicts Is being
handled without the addition Of an
extra staff. One nurse and one won.
an, who combines the duties Of nurse
and housekeeper. do all the work.
1t is thought likely that If the treat
ment turns out to be real cure 1t will
permit the elimination Of the three
city institutions that now handle drug
addicts, and in their place receiv.
ing station will be established, where
the drug addicts can be gathered fol
shipment to the farms.