Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-05-04

Mrs. Draper Smith Demands
That Public Welfare Board
Investigate Drug Traffic
Purpose is to Institute Inquiry to Ascertain Why City
and State Officials Are Treating as Dead Letter
the Nebraska Statute Regulating Sale and Use Of
Narcotics

Following revelations published
in The Bee showing the threatening
danger to the community. because
of the increasing and vicious traffic
in narcotic drugs, Mrs. Draper
Smith, prominent and influential
social worker and public spirited
woman, yesterday declared she
would Immediately take the matter
up with the Public Welfare board
with view to ascertaining the true
state of affairs.
Mrs. Smith made known her pur-
pose to institute an inquiry espe-
cially with reference to learning
why city and state officials are
treating as dead letter the Ne
braska statute, which passed the
legislature of 1915, regulating the
sale and use Of narcotic drugs.
Law Demands Records.
Chapter 1876. Section A. of the acts
of the Nebraska legislature of 1915
provides a law prohibiting physi-
clans to prescribe narcotic drugs to
addicts without first consultation
with another reputable physician,
and i'll the event it is found neces-
sary to give cocaine or morphine
to the patient, the statute requires
that permanent record showing
the details of the transaction be
kept in the office of the physician
who administers the drug. The law
also provides that the attending ply
sician shall make a report within
five days after the prescription is
written to the office of the county
attorney.
County Attorney Shotwell de-
,clared he had received no reports
of this character since he assumed
the duties of his office.
1t is further provided by the
state law that persons addicted to
the excessive use of morphine or
cocaine shall be committed to the
Nebraska hospital for the insane.
NO provision is. made for i'm
prisoning addicts in the city or
county jail, or in the Detention
Home, and treating X. them there.
Tie law specifically states that they
should be treated in the Nebraska
hospital for the insane.
Will Take Matter Up.
II shall take the matter up imme-
diately with the Public Welfare
board" said Mrs. Smith, "and learn
what is being done. | am not ia
miliar enough with the situation to
condemn any particular person for
neglect, indifference or with protect
ing the peddlers Of drugs. An ex-
planation is due. however. and ]
shall endeavor to make the proper
inquiry, and present the subject to
the Women's Civic club"
Reputable physicians and nurses
with extended experience in treating
patients who are addicted to the
drug habit with one acclaim almost
condemn the methods used at the
Detention home. Physicians who
have made special study of treat
ing unfortunates who have fallen
victims to the habit have declared
that the quantities of drugs given
for weeks and months after the pa
tients are admitted, as is known to
be the practice at the Detention
home, encourages the habit.
At the state institution in Lincoln
the most violent cases are taken off
narcotics entirely three days after
admission, according to DR.. ]. P.
Sullivan. who for years treated drug
addicts at the Lincoln institution.
Small Doses of Morphine.
During the three days we al
lowed them to have cocaine or NOR
phine," said DIR. Sullivan; they were
allowed to have only two or three
very small doses"
Charges have been made that DR..
Palmer Findley and Miss Alta Ber-
ger, the latter up until recently ma
Continued on Page Seven, Column Two.)