The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-26
DRUG FIGHT UPHELD
In BURR'S RULING
Copeland Within Rights In
Turning Warwick Farm
Over to Addicts.
R0CKEFELLER OFFER O. K,
Eight Doctors in Year Wrote
100000 Illegal Narcotic
Prescriptions.

aeaitn commissioner = Copeland re-
ceived yesterday the assurance OF Cor
poration Counsel Burr that the Depart
ment Of Health was acting within Its
legal rights in seeking solution Of the
drug addiction question in New York
city. and that DR.. Copeland was justi-
ned in his methods Of treating drug adj
diets
Mr.. Burr's assurances to DR..
Copeland in ten pages Of typewriting.
Therein the Corporation Counsel declared
1t to he all right for Dr. Copeland to
convert the Hospital for Inebriates on
Warwick Farm in Orange county into
hospital for drug addicts. And thus is
swept aside the objections that Charities
Commissioner Coler raised and Comp
troller Craig expressed before the Board
OF Estimate when hospital buildings were
offered to the Health Department by the
Rockefeller Foundation.
Mr.. Burr's opinion took the form Of
answers 70 questions by DR.. Copeland.
The Commissioner asked whether the
Board Of Inebriety could turn over to the
Sinking Fund Commission the Warwick
Farm plant whether Warwick Farm
could then be transferred to the use Of
the Health Department for the treatment
Of drug addicts: whether the Charities
Department clauses in the city charter
forbade such transfer, and whether the
Board Of Health was justified In classing
drug addiction as a Presidential disease"
and therefore include drug addiction
among those diseases the Health De-
partment Is bound to take in charge.
To the first question Mr.. Burr replied
that the Board of Inebriety now COM
ne h,tt har oh he
increased by the Mayor to at least four
or five members. This done, Mr. Burr
has II. there was no legal barrier pre-
venting the Board of Inebriety turning
Warwick Farm over to the Sinking Fund
Commission.
Coier's Objection Answered.
The Corporation Counsel answered the
second question in an unqualified af-
| firmative. He likewise agreed that there
was nothing in the city charters refer
ences TO the Department of Charities
that rendered 1t illegal or prevented
| that department transferring Warwick
Farm to the Department of Health.
This effectuaily answers Commissioner
, OF Charities Coler, who maintained that
! such transfer was impossible.
Mr.. Burr told DR.. Copeland the Board
| Of Health was quite justified In classify
ing drug addiction as a residential dis
ease and because the Board of Health
had done so the objections to DR.. Cope
land using Warwick Farm were quite
obliterated.
81 have not found any case where the
words Presidential disease have ever
| been construed by the courts" wrote
Mr.. Burr. The word pestilent, however
in the Century Dictionary. is given the
following definition Mlschievous, nox.
icus: pernicious. hurtful to health and
morals"
| Mr.. Burr cites, also, the definition,
given in the Standard Dictionary and by
Webster. The Corporation Counse
agrees that drug addiction is ''pestilen.
tial' and then cites. at length. the word,
of the Rainey committees report OF
drug addiction in America.
| The facts disclosed by the Mayors
Public Welfare Committee, which wal
created by him in the interest OF public
health, morals and safety. to investi
gate the evil Of drug addiction in thii
] city, are most alarming" Mr.. Burr adds
| THE records OF recent trials In Fed
! eral Courts in this district show the clos'
| connection between dishonest druggist.
| and crooked physicians, 1t having beer
ascertained. as the result of a recen
raid made by Federal officers. that eigh
doctors who were arrested for Illegal,
practising in this traffic between then
wrote more than 100000 narcotic drul
prescriptions in less than one year.
time. These disclosures clearly indicate
that this evil is assuming the proportions
of a pestilence, and that those unfortu
nately within the coils of drug addiction
are suffering from disease within tn
meaning of the law regulating the dutie
| of the Board of Health.
Narcotic Trade Amascs.
1.-THE volume of business in narcoti
drugs in this city Is almost beyond be
lief. It has been proved that in on
drug store alone In this city, a gros
business has been carried on. solely II
heroin, amounting to about 100000
year. A certain physician testified re
Gently in court that before his arrest h
was treating and writing prescription
for between 100 and 200 drug addicts
day, his practice being estimated by hin
from this source alone at $4,000 pc
annum.
ut is undeniable that to a large de
gree the use of habit forming drugs !
acquired through association with per
sons who are drug addicts. This !
clearly shown by the records availabl
from the Fourth street clinic and tn
resident physician in the Tombs Prison
may add that one Of the most alarming
features OF this spread Of drug addic
tton is its prevalence among the crimina
classes.
IT believe the community Is In dut,
bound to do all It can to cure this dis
ease and TO prevent its growth. II no
from altruistic motives at least fron
motives of self-protection. Therefore,
there be any doubt as to whether tn
term presidential would cover drug ad
diction that doubt should be resolved 4
such a manner as to permit the bene
ficent and humane efforts Of your de
: partment full scope to aid and protec
these unfortunates and 10 give them a
) opportunity to receive treatment ealcu
lated to cure them of this perniciou
, habit under the favorable conditions al
, forded at the Warwick Colony Farm"
} DIR. Copeland forwarded copy Of tn
opinion TO Mayor Hyian. He will max
a request Immediately for hospitals 70
: drug addicts. Whether the Rocket lle
? Foundation will renew its proffer of I'll
hospital buildings that the Health De
J partment so sorely needs could not
4 learned. II the offer should be renewe
, the legal objections to its acceptance car
not be offered by those who voted I
r reject at the last meeting Of the Boar
/ of Estimate.
DIR. Copeland declares he has doIed OF
: 1877, 900 grains of morphine and heroi
! to addicts within the past seven day
= JEFF Davie. the self-styled king OF III
: hoboes," called upon the Commission,
! yesterday and offered to help the crl
= SADIE as much as his intimate knowleds
Of addicts permits JEFF is not an addic
&, His knowledge arises from aid he hs
given to army and navy intelligenS