The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-10

General. were you ever homesick?
Did you ever feel that if something
did not happen soon you would go
crazy? Did you ever see rugged men
break down under this malady and
cry like babies or go crazy and jump
over the barbados? If you have
ever suffered such pangs of home
sickness you know the answer as to
why SO many of our men are turning
to cocaine. To them a Whit of CO.
cane is great relief"
Homesickness was first recognized
as an official disease in the army
during the Philippine campaigns in
the years 19oo-1s02. The surgeon
general of the army devoted tC' this
malady several pages of his official
report covering that period. There.
one may read how strong men sud
IDENTIFY went crazy and, running
amuck, jumped over the barbados
and were lost for weeks in the will
derness; how others broke down and
cried and cried and cried. until 1t
was necessary to dull the ache with
drugs; while still others took to
drink and would stay drunk for days
at a time. 1t is one of the most in
sidious of all diseases. Through the
aid of the various welfare organiza-
tons. an attempt was made in the
last war to counteract inconsistencies;
but outside of those wonderful
mothers of the Salvation Army, it was
not a marked success. Many a SOL
der, if he would tell the truth,
would admit that night after night
he has suffered and sometimes has
even cried himself to sleep over the
intense longing for home.
NO doubt" replied the general.
"all that you say is true, but l don't
believe it is quite as black as it is
painted. Anyway. get at it and
show me"
This conversation with the gen
eral occurred as the result of re-
port made to us by Colonel Donnelly
of the medical department of the base.
Major, we must have your coop
Grafton at once" pleaded the colonel
There is an alarming increase in
the number CT dope cases we are
called upon to treat! Every day new
victims are brought to the hospital
for cure, while at BaSsens there is
one stevedore battalion so thoroughly
under the influence of this baneful
drug that over ten per cent of the
men are classed. ineffective and
that means that they are slowed up
just that same amount in getting
their shipments off fer the front on
time. If we do not want our base
to have a bad record, we must put
a stop to the selling of this drug, CO.
caine, which seems to be the only
one being used to any extent
OF course we had known for some
time that there were drug addicts
among our troops, but we did not
realize the seriousness of the situa-
ton until the daily medical report
began to be filled with cases of CO.
caine poisoning. 1t was these re-
ports that brought Colonel Donnelly
to our office asking for help: If the
colonel was right, and his daily re-
ports were evidence enough that he
was, it was time for quick action.
France has some very drastic mar
cote laws, but her men in the drug
enforcement department had been
called to the colors and her force
was thus depleted. Consequently
four years of the war had sadly
lowered the standard of enforcement
of these laws in France, and If
continuous war is not carried on
against drug pedlers they soon be-
come very bold
A scheme To Get a Clue.
Our. quickest way, although to an
outsider it might well be considered
the most cruel, was to take one CT
the well-known users of the drug
whom we had arrested while under
it's influence and, by confirming him
in the hospital under the direct
charge of a doctor, shut off his
drugs until he would talk. Il Will
admit that it was hard-hearted
procedure. but it was also the most
direct way to reach the evils sourceo
One of the worst cases was Sc
lected; and this soldier was con-
fined in a room especially fitted up
for him, with Lieutenant Murphy,
our medical officer,/in constant at
tendance. Anyone who has the grue-
some experience of listening to the
rawlings of drug fiend will know
something of what we went through
with before we succeeded in break
ing down the resistance of this drug
crazed man.
He was pale, anemic chap and
when we took him to the room in the
hospital, was so weak that he had
to be supported by two men. But
when the craving for the drug took
possession of him, it was necessary to
hold him in bed by main force, and
il took three men to do it; yelling
at the top Ct his voice one second,
babbling like child the next, he
continually begged for just one dose
of the drug.
.Please. Oh. please! Please,
doctor, give me some cocaihe! l
shall die if you don't!' was his plant
, for a few minutes. Then, suddenly
seized with maniacal frenzy, he
would curse us at the top of his voice.
until from sheer exhaustion, he would
quiet Down Watching this mans