New-York tribune., 1919-04-17
High and L01U H0bn0b as
Clinic D0les Out Drugs

years ago. Now she wishes with her
whole heart and soul that she hadn't
played fast and loose with fire. She
says she wants to be cured, and then
she walks over to her hairdressing
friend and gggles about it,
The halrdresser cannot be more than
twenty-pretty as a picture and nicely
dressed. She, too, was Curious. And
now she is enslaved
Lend me dime. haven't cent"
pipes youth in his teens. The pupils
OF his eyes are like pinpricks. He is
obviously under the influence Of NOR
phinc. Born under wa-m Italian skies,
his teeth shatter and he shakes as if
with ague when he comes in out Of the
rain. He learned to take drugs through
his street friends in New York He
didn't know anything about them while
he lived in Italy.
Too Proud to Be Questioned
Choosing to leave without the drug
rather than undergo an examination,
an elderly woman who has been taking
morphine for eighteen years, walks out
of the clinic. She is we'll dressed and
rather distinguished looking, but is
obviously in state Of nervous ex-
cltement.
man with head like that Of Lord
Byron confesses to being a machinst
with mother to support. He has been
snufing heroin for two years and he
says it all began with "bad company"
The Broadway belle got morphine
from her doctor after an operation. 1t
soon became habit. She walks in,
trit1e wild-cyed and sclf~assertive She
wants immediate attention and she is
going to have it. A pert young thing
she is, who says she would like to be
cured but hasn't the least intention OF
trying to help herself.
Next in line is the conductorette,
III. She takes morphine to relieve
pain and she makes herself believe
that she can stop any time. Always
she tells herself: "Just this once
and 1t will be the last" But it never
is the last. She lends some money to
a grayhaired man as she goes out.
Like Father, Like Son
This man is obviously one of the
pathetic cases. He has large family.
but he hasn't a job. An expression of
inanity seems habitual to him. His
father took drugs before him. And
he has taken them ever since he was
quite young. He is now old and
pathetic In his helplessness.
Then, by way of contrast, there is
the vigorous young man at the best
time of his life. But his mind is run
ming to seed and his body is going
to pieces, all for the sake CT the heroin
which has become moro necessary to
him than meat and drink. He is an
orphan and doesn't even remember his
mother. Ran tho streets and was n
wild youngster. Thought it was
"smart" to take dope. He doesn't now.
With his tools on hts shoulder. the
carpenter hurries in to tho clinic on
his way home from work. He Is a
decent looking workman, Intelligent
and straight eyed. But hc has tho in
veterate craving and Is afraid OF los
ing his job If it is not satisfied He
has taken cures and he feels ashamed
but-'what's the use ?" he asks.
A Part of His Routine
Smartly rugged up in uniform and
leather loggings the chauffeur makes
his appearance and asks for his dose.
He turns up at tho clinic as regularly
as the clock revoves. 1t was associ-
alton that started him on the down
ward path, too. Can't lay off work long
enough to get cured, for he has fam
lily.
There is the man who has been up
and down again oftener than he can
count. He has taken the cures and
thought that he would never 90 back.
until he saw some of his old pals
loaf away" for a dose. That was
enough. Habit was the first law of his
life and down he went again
SO the er-ending stream goes on,
with all its burden of sadness and sor-
didness.