New-York tribune., 1919-06-14
Medical Society Members,
DIR. Copeland, Narcotic
Board and Research Body
Involved i'll Controversy
branding Plan Assailed
Physicians Call Meeting;
Health Chief Denies He
Would ''Tattoo'' Victims

Open warfare over the method of
dealing with drug addcts was declared
Yesterday between DR.. Royal S. Cope
land, Health Commissioner, and mem
bers of the Medical Society of New
York County.
Aroused by the belief that the en-
forcement of prohibition will result in
great increase in the number of drug
victims in the city, the society called a
special meeting to be held at the
Academy of Medicine. II West Forty
third Street, on the evening of June %
One purpose of the meeting is to protect
against "Dr. Copelands avowed inten-
tion to finger print, photograph and
brand 250,000 habitual users of habit
forming drugs by an amendment to the
sanitary CODE"
When DR.. Copeland heard Of the
meeting and was told he had been in
~ited, he said he had no intention of
branding, finger printing or photo
graphing drug victims. He said regula-
tory measures had been proposed to
the Corporation Counsel, but had been
abandoned when it was found that the
State Narcotic Commission, headed by
Walter R. Herrick, was preparing a
comprehensive scheme to deal with
drug addiction
Not to Attend Meeting
He said he would not attend the
Medical Society's meeting. Then he
wrote a letter to DR.. Charles NJ. Peck,
president of the society accusing the
medical profession Of not "closely fol-
lowing the progress OF events"
Thereupon members of the Medical
Society said the State Narcotic Com
mission was AN inactive body" that
Mr.. Merrck doesn't know anything
about the drug habit" and that no
measures properly dealing with the
menace can be expected from that
body.
John P. DAWN, 1T West Seventy
sixth Street, who induced more than
fifty prominent physicians to sign
cial meeting, said the state commission
twas organized to pay political debt
in Saratoga County," He said the ply
sicians Of the city are coping with the
drug menace. He asserted hundreds
of drug victims innocently had become
such through taking treatment for dis
ease, and that they were being scared
to death" by threats of having to
carry Photographic identification
card.
Drug Dealers Stocking Up
Other developments were:
Dr. Copeland announced that drug
dealers were laying in immense sup
plies Of drugs in anticipation of more
drug victims after prohi bition goes
into effect; that the purchases of
drugs during last Jenuary were more
than for the whole year of 1918; that
the purchases in February were great
cr than those for the previous month.
and that purchases have increased |
since. In his letter to DR.. Peck, he
said consumption Of opium in this /
country is ten times as great per capita
as in any European state.
4
West Forty-sccond Street, issued
statement approving of the Medical
Socety's meeting and asserting that
Dr. Copeland intends to put all addicts
'in the criminal class" A. r. Park
hurst, the director, said that of 25O,000
drug users in the city, less than Is per
cent belong to the criminal class or to
the underworld
Mr.. Parkhurst said it was the belief
Of the medical profession that Dr.
Copeland intended to brand addicts on
the hand by injecting nitrate Of silver
under the skin. OR. Copeland has said
that he favors branding them on the
back of the hand, so that every one can !
tell an addict when he sees him." said \
Mr.. Parkhurst
Denies "Branding" Plan
Il never proposed anything of the
kind" said Dr. Copeland to a Tribune
reporter. when the municipal clinic
in Worth Street was opened sugges-
ton for registering addicts was talked !
of, but it was never intended that they
should be branded"
On May 10, in making recommenda-
ions to the state comm ssion, DR.. Cope
land was quoted as having said he
favored Photographic Identification
cards, but was opposed to finger print
ing because Of its association with
crime.
DR.. Copeland, in writing to Dr. Peck,
accuses members of the Medical So
clety not only of failure to follow
the progress Of events in calling the |
special meeting, but of refusing to CO.
operate with the authorities in stamp
lnc out the drug evil