New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-08
100000 Drug Victims,
And"Cures" Do Not Cure
c. sa, Nurse and Ex-Solder, Who Appeal to whitney
Legislative Committee tor Larger measure u -
and Understanding in Treatment OF Problem

the medical profession. Doctors seemed a
10 think that any treatment Is goou
enough for an addict. J heard one say
that addicts are all liars ana that ne
hated w have anything 10 90 WIN
them. Many are afraid to Try 70 hgip
ms because Of the danger OF arrest. we
never get a fair deal from anybody.
The cx-soldier was the irst witness
Of the day. Through the efforts OF the
Societv for the Relief and study Of
Drug Addiction, he had won an honor
able discharge from the army, where
his priyate's pay of $50 a month ex-
CITY met the cost Of his morphine.
He was a Westemer. big and power
fully built, with only the smouldering
an ms eyes to mark him as an addict.
Yet that he has been Since he was
smashed up in a railroad accident At
San Antonio, in 1912. Then it was a
doctor who thought he was doing a
kindness who started him.
"Do | want TO be cured?' he echoed,
when a question by Representative
Morris Block interrupted his story.
gYou bet do. | wanted to go to
France and do a little fighting, and !
want to yet. You gentlemen do not
need laws to control addicts. You need
to treat them-to find a cure. | never
heard of any that worked
Found Soldiers Addicts
The witness said he enlisted in the
army early in September, and spent
most Of his time as soldier in the
American Lake training camp. lie had
about an ounce Of the drug when he en-
listed and did not need to buy a further
stock. At American Lake he met sew
oral soldiers who were addicts, and
cnce was called on TO stand guard over
two who were under arrest.
The third witness of the day has
been a user Of drugs since 1901,
when he was introduced to a proprie-
tarv catarrh cure in which dope" was
the agent of relief. Since then he has
tried opium and morphine and heron.
"The price of drugs has been rising
all the time" he said. 81 cou!dn I
keep up with it, and had to steal. l
served a term for burglary IN Auburn
and got plenty of heroin there. some
was stolen out OF the hospital, guess
and the rest was sent IN TO cohVlcOS
by friends on the outside II,
Freed from Auburn and "feeilng
himself slipping" the witness sald ne
asked a magistrate 10 Sthu III" ~ ~
METROPOLITAN Hospital "cure. Ihere'
he said. his health had been broken by
the hyocine treatment.
Professor Appeals for Action
Along with the oral testimony two
lettors were read to the committee:
Both were addressed to the editor Oh
american Medicine"
Tho writer of one, member OF the
faculty of q leading medical college
has a brother who innocently became
an addict.
There are estimated to be as many
as 100000 addiction cases in the state
of New York alone" he wrote, after
summarizing the history Of his broth
er's case.
In the second letter, written by a
lawyer addict, a protest was voiced
against the laws which force the drug
victim either to jeopardize his social
and economic standing by going public
ly on record or TO become a criminal
bv patronizng the sidewalk pedlers.
The Whitney committee will nave its
next hearing at o'clock next Wednes-
day afternoon.