New-York tribune., 1917-12-22
Whitney Drug Law
Unsuccessful, Says
Health Official
State Bureau Attorney Tells
Investigators Addictions
Are Increasing Rapidly

Joseph 4. Warren, attorney for the
state Department OF Health, set before
the Whitney legislative committee
Yesterday figures which he interpreted
as showing that III the intention OF
the Whitney drug law is to cure drug
victims Of their addiction, and not TO
keep them supplied with drugs. it is
not a success"
His figures showed a rapid increase
in the number Of addiction cases
treated by doctors. One doctor who
had treated no drug victim in July re-
ceived 2G6 in November. Only three
institutions and 333 doctors in the en-
tire state had made reports. and they
covered the treatment Of 4,5O0 cases.
lie was Of the opinion that the reports
were of no great value.
"It would seem" he said. that the
doctors are not trying TO cure addicts,
but merely to provide drugs 20 keep
them going" lie suggested law for
bidding doctors to prescribe drugs ex-
cept under special license.
Drug addiction is about as much a
disease as drinking whiskey," said DR..
Frank Van Fleet, chairman of the sub
committee Of the New York County
Medical Society. He denied that doc
tors were responsible for making ad-
diets. and declared that the present
law is a hindrance to doctors
Paregoric Called Drug
DR.. Ferdinand Siegel Of 294 Halsey
Street, Brooklyn. advocated the prohi-
bition of the sale Of paregoric, which,
he said contains two gra4ns Of opium
TO the ounce and can be bought by any
body. He declared that in his chill
dren's clinic he had seen 100 baby ad-
diets. who had been given opium by
their mothers.
DR.. George H. Lapham. Of l24 West
Fighty-ffth Street, told the committee
that the inconvenience due to investi-
cations and other police activities made
il not worth his while to treat addicts.
Peter Diamond, chairman of the leg
islative committee Of the Retail Drug
rists' Association Of New York, praised
the Whitney law, but said that prosecu-
tions for technical violations we're a
hardship TO druggists and doctors.
A we'll dressed woman of about
thirtv-five. who said she had had mucn
nursing experience. asked the commit
tees advice in the case of girl, aged
about seventeen. whom she had found
suffering from drug withdrawal. She
had taken the girl home and had gone
with her to a doctor who had pre-
viously written drug prescriptions for
the addict.
Saws Bartenders Aid Traffic
The girl paid the doctor s. and the
druggist g.. In the drugstore were
two other girls having the same pre-
scription-twenty grains Of morphine
filled.
"The greatest source Of obtaining the
drug is through bartenders, the girl
told me-" said the witness.
Two letters were read ID the com
mittce. one from Or. Ernest Bishop.
who told Of a baby born with all the
symptoms OF a drug addict. the mother
having been a victim of heroin. He
described the baby's face as that OF a
little old woman. continually worried.
The other letter was from a prisoner
in the penitentiary on Harts Island.
lie complained that drug users sent
there are made 20 shovel coal and 70
work on the lash gang" and are pun
ished more severely than burglars,
highwaymen or men sentenced for
criminal assault"
At the close Of the hearing Justice
Frederick Kernochan, who presides in
the Probation Court, appeared before
the committee and asked for the name
Of the probation officer who was ac-
cused Of waylaying an addict in the
City Hall and having him beaten by a
detective.
Probation Officer Assailed
Senator Whitney said the committee
was investigating the matter. DR.. Blum
stein, who told the addicts story at a
previous hearing. said he could not
give his patients name. Harold y.
Corbin. attorney for the committee, said
he believed every word DR.. Blumstein
had said.
II want 20 get 10 the bottom of this
thing" said Justice Kernochan. "1f
find the story is true some probation
officer is going 70 lose his job
Matthews Fund Planned
Columbia students have decided 20
raise a fund for loans 10 needy stu
dents in the School Of Journalism as
memorial 10 the late Professor