New Britain herald., 1927-10-17


 has a mania to get others addicted with him. A morphine addict will tend to do it, and so will a cocaine addict: but heroin addict has d mania. so he soon becomes a re- cruitlng agent. He builds a snow gang The federal grand jury has found as many as 30 boys in q
 snow gang.
 Before very long the members of a gang graduate, as you might call 1t, and go out and build gangs of their own. Members of these gangs go out building gangs. The spread of opium and alcohol is largely by addition; the spread of heroin is by multiplication and seometrical progression.
 Increase in Drug Addicts
 When morphine, opium and CO., calne constituted our narcotic problem, the problem was under the control of the federal laws, anl our anti-narcotic laws seemed to be adequate. Addiction ran about l. coo q year. About 1917, when heroin struck, they began to see 2 grave rise; by the end of 1919 it had passed from 1000 to 2.000. In a few years, about 1921, it passed 4.O00. Last year it passed 10000, and the United States attorney gen. Q f1 i 1, n 31 per cent of all convictions in all the federal courts of the nation are these cases.
 "A survey was made of the pris- ons of New York city last year in preparation for reading a paper at a conference on narcotic education held ill Philadelphia last summer, taking what involved turpitude Here's the report: He found that more than half-running up 10 60 per cent-of all the prisoners in the prisons of New York city today are and 95 per cent Of these addicts are the youthful heroin ad- diets. This has only been running 1 few years.
 He brought down 10 the confer cnce two of his staff, the chief Of the bureau of criminal identitica- tion and the chief surgeon of the prisons to discuss the technique of the matter. When he put the fin man on the stand his re- n JI-g l, 10 eXpunge some of his words from our records. Among other things he said, If l had my way, every time I got 3 heroin addict l would kill him like l would kill a rat with the plague
 "A survey of Chicago. while if was not made of the prisons, was made of the underworld and show ed the same thing. It was conduct sd by the commissioner of health He told me he found a stream of )oys and girls pouring into the un- ierWorld of Chicago-14, 15 and l6 years of age, incredibly young, rom good families, from all walks of life. He said most of the boys not all of them--were there from lrugs. The pitiful thing was that n the case of girls they all came rom drugs. You know it has been ,stimated that 5O,00O girls disappear n this country every year.
 Incidentally as We were discuss ng the technique of this thing. he brought out this: These young ad- 1icts soon have their vitality go town and become anaemic; nothing matters but getting the drug. They ire careless of hygiene, and they become incubators of disease, and he problem becomes an overshad- owing problem in the question of he public health as it has become 'n overshadowing problem in the question of crime. !
 What are we going to do about /, his? The chief surgeon of the prisons of New York city before our onference and on the stand discuss d the question of the addict. They skcd him, Doctor, what do you do with them when they come in?' He ! aid, We at once put them under | reatment to get them off the drug. | \ number of methods are available | nd he described the method they ound best. The question then , anne from another, DO they stay 1 if the drug?'
 Some stay off longer than oth- rs, according to the individual
 Then the question was, How lany remain permanently cured?'
 He never batted an eye. There 'as q silence. and then he said, None.
 The next question was, How lany have you treatod?'
 "It is over 25,00O now ;!
 DO you mean to say 1t is i'm ossible to cure?'
 We'll he said, I wouldn't say lat the grace of God cannot cure
 By the way we are watching a tile colony of them out in Los ngeles. They have got religion out lere.
 Ranks of Living Dead
 The doctor said, I would not " that the grace of God cannot Ire one; but as a scientific man l lnnot conscientiously say I ever lw one that I regarded as cured.
 is too late. They belong to the inks of the living dead
 "Can we suppress it by law? Mar 'tics are easily concealed. They e so small and compact. They e easily distributed. Remember. e addict is going to have his drug
 any cost. Remember, the profits e enormous. You can see the in- lequacy of law alone. The treas