Axovemberfia9roT"}     Acquirement  of  the  Drug  Habit.  547 
REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  ACQUIREMENT  OF  THE 
DRUG  HABIT.1 
By  H.  P.  Hynson,  Chairman. 
Viewed  from  a  distance,  the  making  of  this  report — like  many  a 
task,  many  a  difficulty — seemed  small  indeed,  but  upon  nearer 
approach  it  has,  in  the  minds  of  your  committeemen,  become  stu- 
pendous. 
The  duty  of  the  committee  was  not  well  defined  by  the  resolution 
creating  it,  nor  is  the  specific  purpose  for  which  we  were  appointed, 
even  yet,  quite  clearly  shown. 
That  habits  are  formed  for  the  use  of  certain  drugs  is  a  fact  so 
well  known  to  us  all  as  to  need  no  further  proving  ;  that  such 
habits  are  injurious  to  the  health,  morals  and  general  well-being  of 
the  habitues  is  quite  well  established.  A  discussion,  therefore,  of 
these  two  points  is  totally  unnecessary.  This  positive  knowledge 
regarding  the  existence  and  effects  of  the  drug  habit  assures  us  that 
the  personal  knowledge  of  the  individual  pharmacist,  touching  other 
points  connected  with  this  awful  curse,  if  fully  and  truthfully  valued, 
will  force  upon  the  conscientious  conclusions  that  will  win  from 
them  a  ready  recognition  of  their  responsibilities. 
This  personal  knowledge,  this  individual  experience,  entails  a 
responsibility  and  an  accounting  far  more  exacting  than  any  that 
can  be  placed  upon  you  by  the  efforts  of  this  committee.  It  is  folly 
for  any  one  to  say  he  knows  nothing  of  this  matter  because  organ- 
ized investigation  has  not  been  made,  or  because  statistics  have  not 
been  furnished.  The  experience  ot  one  is  the  experience  of  the 
multitude,  and  no  life  is  so  singular  as  to  have  carried  its  owner 
even  a  little  distance  along  the  way  without  presenting  much  the 
same  scenes  that  have  been  clearly  viewed  by  the  many.  It  will  be 
becoming,  therefore,  while  further  discussing  this  subject,  for  the 
individual  to  lend  the  help  of  his  experience  and  the  force  of  his 
real  knowledge. 
In  addition  to  this  there  are  several  questions  which  your  com- 
mittee thinks  it  may  assist  in  answering,  viz  : 
(1)  Is  the  use  of  habit-forming  drugs  unduly  increasing? 
(2)  What  is  the  probable  number  of  habitues? 
JRead  at  the  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  Septem- 
ber, 1902. 
