Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-28
ACCuRsED TRAFFIC


legal, In opium and narcotic drugs.
has been tie means OF millions OF
dollars IN profits 10 the trafflckers,
and OF untold suffering and misery
to millions OF people all over the
world, who have IN many cases,
through no fault of their own, been
the victims OF this tfaffic.'
These arc the words Of Rep
rcsentatlve Kindred OF New York
speaking In the national House of
Representatives. speaking also as
physician. who for thirty-five
years has been acquainted with
drug addiction and It's indescrirable
horrors. lie was asking for modi-
ficntlons In the narcotic law such
that the addicts may receive humane
treatment and not in their des-
perntion he driven 10 sacrifice their
immortal souls to the drug traf-
hckers. He estimates more than
million addicts In this country alone.
Here the per capita consumption of
some form Of opium Is &c grains as
compared with | grain in Italy.
grains In Germany and in France.
Evidently this Ia already become
Il serious menace to us. one which
must lie combatted unfiinchnsly
and untlringly.
Representative Kindred's data
shows how the British governing
smugly profited from this accursed
traffic In opium. notwithstanding
the ma Jority Of tho English people
do not approve of 1t. The self
governing parts of British empire
are keeping out the drug fairly well
but those colonies which come I'M
der the British control arc being
exploited by capitalists and poll
ticians financially interested in max
ing and distributing this hell
forming drug. One wonders whether
the German colonies turned over to
Great Britain are to be exploited
in fashion similar to India.
It Is especially interesting to
learn from DR.. Kindred's experience.
low the narcotic habit may easily
become fastened on tho individual, !
often through the prescription of
the physician: how it becomes not |
only Il fixed habit but in process |!
of time n disease as well, how 1t |
creates In the body of the victim !
certain anti-toXins to offset In |
some degree the effect OF the opium, |
which. IL withdrawn. those toxins |
arc left TO poison and torture the |
victim and often kill the patient in |
horrible agony.
The speaker also showed that the !
only way by which the spread of /
narcotics may effectually be check /
cd Is by common effort of the gov
crnmcuts of the world: that even
if the leading governments enter /
upon this the poppy growers would /
he likely to find some place where
they could secure concessions. He ,
did not say how such q place might {
he outlawed by the other nations. I
though such thing is conceivable, |
assuming. of course. that all the !
elf-respecting peoples insisted upon !
II. Even SO. Fthey would have to |
deal through their governments and /
considering tho Intellectual efforts of !
English reformers to do this holds /
out little hope for the immediate |
future.
Notwithstanding ii is fair to as
sumo the ma jority of English peo- /
pie would be rid of completely in |
this accursed traffic their inability /
Is revealed in the fact that while |
three tons OF opium would suffice |
for the medical need OF the entire |
world. British India, alone, is pro- |
ducing 1878 tons. TO say nothing of
that produced in China and other
parts OF the world.
DR.. Kindred brands as lie all !
the tales about the Asiatic people .
suffering little from the use of .
narcotics. There Is not one re-
deeming feature to the whole VIII !
lainous business from which gov
ernments like that of Great Britain ,
are deriving enormous revenue and /
constituencies, high placed rascals /
are wealthy because Of it.
The fight against the narcotic |
evil Is sure to be long and difficult |
but It must be made unless this !
world is to be transformed TO hades. |
and these words OF DIR. Kindred
should waken response that should
not be permitted to flag:
I'VE. as physicians and HUMANE
tarians and citizens. are not only
deeply concerned as to this big and
serious problem as II affects 1.000.-
600 persons In the United States ad-
dicted to the use OF opium and
habit forming narcotic drugs but we
are vitality interested also in stir
ring up public opinion against the
unepeakable crime of the Govern
ments responsible for directly en-
couraging and licensing. for purely
commercial purposes. the growth of
the white poppy and the sale and
distribution OF these drugs to the
enormous extent mentioned. not only
among the Chinese, Hindoos, and
other orientals but among our own
citizens"