New-York tribune., 1920-03-07
Lack of Drug
Clinic Is Held
Menace to City
Closing of Board of Health
Institution Declared to
+. Leave Addicts With No
Way to Obtain Relief
Arbitrary Laws Opposed
DIR. Douglas Brown Shows
How Doctors and Drug
gists Are Handicapped


night that addicts will find themselves
in serious plight as the result Of the
closing yesterday of the Health Depart
ment's drug clinic, at 145 Worth Street.
DR.. Royal S. Copeland, Commissioner
of Health. had said less than 100 pa
tients latterly were receiving treatment
at the clinic and thas those needing
further attention could oe taken care of
at Riverside Hospital on North Brother
Island
1t is held by some physicians that
the closing of this avenue OF relief will
drive, and already has driven. hundreds
OF addicts to the underworld and other
illicit sources to obtain drugs. The
conditions, it is asserted. are further
ties Of the Federal authorities that tie
the hands of the regular practitioner
and interfere with proper treatment of
reputable patients.
A rather gloomy picture Of the prob
lem is painted by DR.. Douglas Brown, a
lieutenant colonel of the United States
Medical Reserve Corps. DR.. Brown
passed two years with the 7th Division
overseas and was in charge of the
foreign medical section on the Isthmus
OF Panama during the building of the
canal. He lives at 81 West Seventy
first Street.
Situation Called Serious
In communication to The Tribune
DR.. Brown says:
"The closing Of the Worth Street
clinic to drug-addicted cases on the
ground Of Jack of applicants, coupled
with DR.. Copeland's statement that
America imports fifteen times as much
opium per capita as any other country,
is food for further thought on the
drug addiction problem. think it was
The Whitney commission that estimated
upward OF 100000 drug addicts in New
York City. The Board of Health has
handled some 1000 cases, mostly young
men: What of all the others? They
must get their drug somewhere.
"Now, what is the position the
reputable sufferers, addicted through
some injury or disease, and for whom
the drug is recognized as necessary,
ind themselves in to-day? They
are exempted by the State Board of
Narcotic Drug Control from what?
Registration and dosage card. Can
they obtain the needed drug from any
regularly licensed physician? No, un-
less the nnv: elan has purchased a
license 10 prescribe narcotic drugs and
has purchased and received the special
narcotic prescription blanks from AL
bany. Many physicians are unwilling
to get these blanks, being fearful of
unfavorable criticism through their
use, strange as this may seem, and Of
violating the law In some Of it's techni
calities, thereby .injuring their prac-
ttce. 1t is safer to have nothing to do
with the addicted.
Or. Bishops Case Cited
"The arrest of DR. Ernest H. Bishop.
one of the foremost authorities on drug
addiction. holding honorary positions
under government and state authority.
occupying one of the few chairs in this
country devoted to instruction in drug
addiction as a disease worthy of proper
understanding by the medical practi-
toner, man who has given his help
and advice to many poor sufferers for
years to the writer's KNOWLEDGE. has
spread further fear.
Gas a matter Of fact, the complexi-
ties Of the law covering the prescribing
OF any narcotic to anybody are so great
that there are few medical men with
large practice in this city that are
not guilty of violation of some techni-
calfty. Take the recent flu and pneu-
monia epidemic. During the high pres
sure OF work many doctors have been
compelled to telephone to druggists to
icpe&t prescription containing mar.
cotlcs for some patient in urgent need
and the necessary prescription would
be lett at the druggists as soon as the
physician is released from some life
and death struggle. The druggist sends
the much needed medicine. Both doc
tor and druggist are liable to indict-
ment and arrest There are no extenu-
atlng circumstances. It is illegal to
put more than u certain amount of mar
cot1c In any ointment.
Druggist Also Held Responsible
'Fear is planted not only in the doc
tors mind, but also in the druggists,
and he is held responsible for filing q
doctors prescription calling for an
Hmount of narcotic drug above the
ordinary on the official blanks. He is
told by such authority as exists for
all this complicated subject, with it's
many human equations, that he must
use his (druggist's) own Judgment
about amounts and will be held re-
sponsible.
"This means the doctor no longer
has the handling of his own case. The
only authority is lay, political and ar
bitrary. There is no board of com
mission of competent physicians and
capable government officials without
personal or political axes to grind be-
fore which the addicted may appear
and appeal, making clear their diff-
culties and needs as legitimate, hav~