664 ^^-^ POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



his molars. As this is always gone in the morning, and the pillow 

 shows no traces of the weed, he thinks he chews it and swallows 

 it in his sleep, though he never knows anything about the process. 



There is a widow who keeps a lodging-house in Oak Street, 

 Boston, Mass., who takes three drachms of morphia sulphate 

 every day, in three one-drachm doses, morning, noon, and night. 

 When it is remembered that an eighth of a grain is the usual 

 dose for an adult, while two grains are sufficient to kill a man, 

 the amount she takes seems startling. I asked her why she 

 did not try and substitute tobacco, or bromide, or chloral hy- 

 drate for morphine, and she said they made her sick, so she could 

 not use them. This woman is sixty years old, very pale and emaci- 

 ated. Her appetite is poor. She attends to her duties faithfully, 

 however, and is able, with the help of a girl, to carry on a large 

 lodging-house. 



I might give scores of instances similar to the above, but these 

 will do for my purpose. I believe that the person who takes 

 liquor or tobacco or opium, in regular quantities at stated inter- 

 vals, is able to withstand their effect after getting fixed in the 

 habit, and that it is the irregular, spasmodic use of these articles 

 which brings delirium and death. It is the man who goes on a 

 " spree," and then quits for a time, who has the weak stomach and 

 aching head. His neighbor, who takes his regular toddy and has 

 his usual smoke, feels no inconvenience. 



For the past year or more I have studied the growth of the 

 opium-habit in Boston. It is increasing rapidly. Not only are 

 there more Chinese " joints " and respectable resorts kept by 

 Americans than there were a year ago, but the number of indi- 

 viduals who " hit the pipe " at home and in their offices is grow- 

 ing very fast. A whole opium " lay-out," including jjipe, fork, 

 lamp, and spoon, can now be had for less than five dollars. This 

 affords a chance for those who have acquired the habit to follow 

 their desires in private, without having to reveal their secret to 

 any one. How largely this is practiced I do not know, but, judg- 

 ing from the tell-tale pallor of the faces I see, I feel sure the habit 

 is claiming more slaves every day. 



In order to approximate to the amount of opium in its various 

 forms which is used in Boston, I have made a thorough scrutiny 

 of the physicians' recipes left at the drug-stores to be filled. As is 

 well known, all recipes given by physicians are numbered, dated, 

 and kept on file at the drug-stores, so that they may be referred to 

 at any time. To these I went in search of information. 



I was surprised to learn how extensively opium and its alka- 

 loids — particularly sulphate of morphia — are used by physicians. 

 I found them prescribed for every ailment which flesh is heir to. 

 They are used for headache, sore eyes, toothache, sore throat. 



