SENSATIONAL ALLEGATION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 26 May 1917, Page 4

SENSATIONAL ALLEGATION.

"DOPE" USED TO DECEIVE DOCTOKS.

An allegation has been made thafc drugs, commonly known as "dope" havebeen usel by gome men called up in theballot for the purpose of ensuring rejection at the medical test. The (Statementis that certain men are in possession of drugs, and are confident that they can cheat the doctor if the1 necessity arises. The drugs are said to hare been brought back by returned soldiers. The authorities would gladly welcomeany information that would lead to the detection of such a ruse, but so far n#. case seems to have come to their notice, although it is inferred that they have their suspicions. Some light was thrown on the matteron Tuesday by Dr. Thacker, who was asked by a reporter of the Lyttelton Times if any known dxugs were capableof deceiving a doctor. He replied that evidently the authorities surmised that some rdcruit6 had been tampering with themselves, for in the course of correspondence on the subject of unfit men being passed as fit (before the standard' was raised), he had received a letter' from Surgeon-Gen.eral Henderson staffcing that som c men had been chewing or eating tobacco to influence the heart's action. "Of course," Dr Thacker added, "a doctor could spot a thing like that right away. A doctor would spat any man suffering from a drug and such a man could be put under observation eitnejr in camp or hospital."

Asked as to the possibility of procuring the drugs Dr. Thacker remarked that Egypt was a land of "dope," particularly among the Indians, and the chief drugs used to produce? such effects would be "canabis inSica" an<P "hyoscyamus." These were vase-accel-erators, which increased the heart's action. Other drugs, called vaso-inhibi-tors, made the heart go slowly. Nearly all of these drugs had effects on thespecial senses, such as hearing and sight. Some might make a man's sigh* defective by contracting or dilating the pupils. These effects, however, would' wear off in 48 hours. He did not think that the drugs could be got locally, forthey would be supplied only on a 'doctor's prescription.