MORPHIA TEA-PARTIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7329, 15 February 1902, Page 2

MORPHIA TEA-PARTIES.

'■:■ ■■■(CdiatU's Saturday Journal:) •• As a supposed cure for the "'blues," a never-failing panacea for. every form of de-, pression, morphia, one of the most^deadly ; of drugs, is unfortunately increasing^ in popularity by leaps and bounds. The-par-ties in Which this dangerous poison, figures so prominently have only lately come into fashion — they originated in Paris, by-the-bye—but the amount of injury and. misery tfoat.they are responsible for is already beyond all reckoning. What happens is this : — A numbe* of ladies trho, owing to the similarity of their individual tastes and weaknesses, are , in sympathy with each other, form themselves into what may be termed a morphia club. They meet at' about four o'clock every afternoon, ostensibly to enjoy nothing •' mpr& ; harmful than tea, the members providing the ghastly entertainment in turn. Tea is certainly consumed, but only to avoid suspicion on the part of the domestics, for , as the repast progresses the hostess produces a tiny syringe* containing morphia. The appearance of this little instrument, which has been eageily waited for by the whole company, is the signal for the guests I to lay bare their . arms. This they dohur- i riedly enough, anxious not to lose a moment, so intense is the craving to plifc £p|m- 1 selves under the influence of the poison, j The hostess then goes the round of her j visitors, giving each an injection. Very i frequently a guest is not satisfied ■with one injection. She has accustomed ihereeif to i the drug, and a small dose has no appre- ] ciable effect on her. She cries for three injections. She gets them if her hostess ] is devoid of sense, as she generally is, and thus drives another mail into her coffin. The women who resort to this proceeding be- { long to that numerous body who, bereft ] of self-control and feather-brained to a jde- ... gree, cannot live without excitement, and. „' who thirst for new sensations* They'at-

tend the morphia tea-party to drive away-* as they foolishly think — melancholy. Withoufc the morphia tea-party they would not care to exist. Life to them is an insufferable bore. ' ' In a very sfcort time the poison does it« work. The woman who was depressed and dull-eyed when she entered the room is full of life and gaiety ; she talks wittily, even brilliantly ; her eyes are bright } her cheeks,, but a moment before ghastlyTwhite, ai«iflushedj 'her whole countenance- is animated:- But 1 what a price she pay»-.for this change ! Submitting herself to $je influence of morphia at these parties as shs does every day., the drug, when-administer-ed in fairly large quantities, quickly loses the desired effect, and the' wretched being must have more. Three injections onca at day are not enough for her ; she -injects the fluid morning, afternoon, and evening. To get the poison she will sacrifice • eV&rythingr—her dearest possessions, her .money, .her ' jew.eli,^her all, in fact. The i& disastrous. The poison obtains plete' masterjr over ncr— she can io 1 mora 'resist it' than she can fly to the.' imbon. The inevitable consequence is that she dies an early death, wrecked both in mind andbody. Nothing is more frightful than the sight of one of these women when she is denied 'her favourite drug. Filled with de- • spair, she is capable, if not watched, .of destroying herself at any moment. Ip he? rage she will tear her hair and scream as, no madman could scream.