"WHAT IS YOUR POISON ?"

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7392, 2 May 1902, Page 1

"WHAT IS YOUR POISON ?"

rh« drug Katnt is gainiiig ground in all sses of society (wriies a ' cßemiet ' in an iglish paper). iE-aoh _as its favourite end of poison. The .professional _a_ loses morphia; ' ih& soldier strychnia and opine, the actor uses cocaine, and women >fer chloral and bro_4dtes. :> Many a proring career has been ru-ineti by drug-tak- , lor wien this fatal _m)l>it is. contracted i»' the intelleotualan^ bighly-strung inj^ual wiio falls an easy victim. The iningfOfTeiiier is not so general here as bn Gon>trae%, -but th«a<B was a case 5 in liOnl*i «hipir*.t_ne ago ; 'a distinguished nuliy mam became .addicted to this, form .of Jiication.. He would purchase an ounce Bther from .a>. chemist, «ip'ter a cab, pour liquid o_ • a handkerohief -anti iwWle it il jn« was stupefied. v After *he effect of 1 ■ had .passed: : off, he would! drive to ther'sihop and repeat the dose.' That _ is now _» lutratic' asyium. , In, the 1 districts around Lincoln and Camftridce iy, y_Ug.eW:Tejpj]iW-ly buy their weekijr plietccf opium and laudanum. This is ost ■as nece^saotyj f<>r. itftm as foodl ' i is dif&cnlt to regulate the saj^of ,naE_. Jggajg^Bfc. 'ami" hnj>os«b;te t^piaawSfi; i_-*^^riadtttj(r rm*y • v requirwi quite a legitiniate purpose: Before sup^ ing a sch^ouled ipoison such as atropintej Chemist must obtain the signature and ress of the purchaser. It is unadvisablc partrcuhiriEe the many poisons that are cheduled and can be obtairted without (formality. Then, again, patent m©diss containing morphia and strychnia can bought, from a_y di«g.«tore. A. doctor's scription, whatever its constituents, is, a rule j- prepared and handed over withqu&stion ; 'but let us say that this mcdii contains twelve maximum doses of mori, the patient ds directed to take. hut 3sßPiJ&<my> fo returns home, aod- sw-al-a at^nce the whole Contents of the bbtMaybe, the chemist is; censured by the r at the; inquest. . Ijt .wou^d be. a« rea : lible to t>lame a- publican f or • supplying allon of whisky ,<to a man who died' soon r of alcoholic poisoning: j resent methods of curing the dirug habit ' eff«!ctual ;. frequently aioljier. poiis administered to counteract >the effect t r_at aliready taken. Morphia, for ex- ! Je, may be- given to a cocaine maniac, j o_ often results in the patient becoming [av'e to the new drug. The only -cure i offers much oha_ ce of success is a come ciange of diet, climate ' end 1 associa- *. ' '. ' . ' ' ' ' •"■■'•/ •* •■ • ut, unfortunately, this is not always stkable.. ' . ' :