New Britain herald., 1918-09-12
Slaves to Narcotics Found Unfit
 For J. s. Military Service
1,5OO,OOO KNOWN IN AMERICA
Treasury Investigation Committee Re- ports Heavy Inroad On Nations Manhood By Craving For Morphine and Other Dopes-96S Victims in Connecticut.

Washington, Sept. 12.-Habitual use of morphine, cocaine, heroin and preparations containing other nar- cotic drugs hasi increased rapidly in the United States within the last two years, and drastic anti-narcotic law must be enacted at this session of congress to check the wholesale spread Of the habit. These are the conclu- sions made public today by a special treasury investigating committee to- gether With a partial report on the number of drug addfcts actually un- der physicians treatment in the states:
 The Investigations of the commit tee, which is headed by Representa- tive Rainey of Illinois, showed that thousands of drafted men have been dismissed from military camps after it was found they were drug addicts and that this number included many who systematically developed the habit after being drafted in order to insure their dismissal. This condi- ton is one reason given for the ur- gency of immediate remedial 1egisla- tiOn.
 The necessary measures already have been embodied in the new rev. enue bill the committee reported, providing for registration of manu- facturers and dealers in proprietary medicines containing compounds of narcotic drugs as well as the pure drug. The measure also would tax keeping track of great quantities dis pensed annually and stop the loop holes through which thousands of violators are said to escape under the Harrison anti-narcotic act.
 1,5OO,OOO Fiends in America
 Hundreds of agents of the internal revenue bureau, acting for the inves- tigating committee, have reported de- tailed information concerning con- sumption of morphine, cocaine, hero in, or medicines containing similar aI- kaloids, and on these reports is based the estimate that at least 100000 persons in the United States are drug addicts, of whom 100000 are known as such in their communities and the balance secret drug users Full reports are expected to show 200, 900 known users within the for mer draft ages of ? and 31 in New York alone.
 Last year the committees records show, the production and sale of pro- prietary cordials, "drops" and pare goric syrup, containing a derivative of opium, increased rapidly and that a large proportion was sold to indi- viduals who consumed it for the drug , effect rather than for medicinal pur- poses.
 Some army officers have been found to be habitua1 users of morphine. and to have purchased supplies to take to France with them.
 Soldiers in camp obtained narcotic drugs illicitly from peddlers who loaf about the outskirts of camps. Ingeni- ous methods of receiving it were re- ported, including transmission in pies, candy, or cakes, saturating cor respondence paper with a drug solu- ton, and sending packets incIosed in knitted articles.
 Partial reports from the following states show the addicts under treat l ment as reported by physicians:
 Connecticut. 968; Delaware. 7s6; | Maine. 427; Maryland, 1,O62: Massa- | chusetts, 2,238; New Hampshire, l 1888: New Jersey, 2,274; Rhode Is- l land, 54S.
 In New York city 5000 already 1 have been tabulated.