The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-10

on the same day in the Tombs prison com
mittei suicide by throwing themselves to the
street below, so intense We're their suffer-
ings. Others have torn up their bedding and
beaten their heads against the walls of their
cells.
Addiction is distnctively a social disease
which spreads like pestilence New York
has the bad eminence of being the narcotic
plague spot of the country. and a survey of
conditions here gives more comprehensive
revelation than can be obtained anywhere
else. Here it is that the illegal vendors
the class which introduced heroin-find their
most profitable market. 1t was here that the
Federal authorities struck first.
The narcotic addict is a more dangerous
source of contamination than was the con-
vivial man in the days before prohibition.
In one evening in a poolroom he can and
does corrupt scores among a group. Ply
sicians and nurses who become addicts are
even more capable of corrupting individuals
and groups than the laymen, as their
greater knowledge of drugs gives them
greater powers for evil"
Not All Criminals.
Commissioner Mulhall takes the view that
although there are some addicts who are
criminals or have been driven to theft and
crime to obtain the money with which to
crafty their desires there are many men
and women who are i'm responsible positions
and whose moral natures still predominant
over their misfortune. They are constantly
under the lash of fear. because they are
afraid, even when they have their supply
of drug, that in some way they will be cut
off from their customary allowance and
therefore they not able to apply their
minds to their work they should
In the opinion of those who have studied
the subject of addiction from all angles the
whole matter rests upon providing suitable
places for the isolation of drug victims All
temporary and palliative measures must
be dropped and the permanent care of the
addict receive attention from a broad and
sympathetic point of view Some such plan
as that outlined by DIR. Stokes. under which
he proposed to reclaim drug addicts for mill
tary service, with the cooperation of the
Public Health Service of the United States.
would go far to meeting the situation.
The drug addict If placed under prac-
ticaily the same discipline as he would have
in the army or navy and taught habits of
self-control would have good chance per-
manently to reclaim himself. If the state
provided institutions here such work could
be carried on under the guidance of experts
the problem OF New York city's addicts in
the opinion of sociologists, could be met
with efficiency.
Miss Mulhall in recent address before
the New York State Conference of Charities
and Correction. which is reprinted in the
journal Mental Hygiene, stresses the need
not only of sustained treatment under con-
ditions which will make for taking the drug
away from the addict under humane
auspices but will also provide for an ade-
quate after care. The drug vender regards
the cured addict a menace to his BUSH
ness, end 1t Is said that owing to his evil
activities most of the men and women dis
charged from the hospitals to go their way
again fall into his clutches.
THE established necessity for prolonged