The Morphia Mania

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 114, 24 March 1892, Page 4

The Morphia Mania

An interesting article on tbe^extent to which the injection ot morphia it carried on at Paris appeared recently in the Standard . The sale of morphia is illegal, and several drug cists have been fined and imprisoned for selling 1 it except as forming part of a prescription, Establishments have been opened at Paris where morphia is clandestinely administered. Dr Henri Guimbail thus describes a visit paid to one of these establishments : — "Not long ago a lady of my acquaintance asked me to accompany her to a morphia institut, where I witnessed the terrible consequence of that pernicious habit. We wont in a cab to a deserted quarter of the town, where the lady, after having dismissed the vehicle at the corner of a narrow dull street, continued her way on foot. She stopped at the door of a mean looking house and rang. Wo were not let in until the paper she carried had been carefully examined. Then the servant opened the door, and we were led through a long passage into the immense waiting room, which derived its chief light from a large stove in the centre. AH round the i oom were divans with soft cushions, on which numerous women were sitting or lymg in every imaginable posture. Their dull eyes were sunk deep into tteir orbits, and their complexions were colorless and cadaverous. They looked at each others without conversing, and without a smile. Some were quivering from head to foot with involuntary convulsions. A richly dressed woman with blende hair had unhooked her dress, and kept her hand pressed tightly against her thin white chest. Suddenly a big door at the further extremity of the room was opened, letting streams of light into the dismal waiting room. An extremely handsome Jady passed out with a light step. Her lips were red, and her eyes bright and radiant. ' Soon, ' said my companion, 'you will see another of those wretched creatures come out as beautiful as the woman you haye just seen. ' All the women in the waiting room jumped up quickly, and rushing to the open door, where an old drabbily dressed hag was standing) with a lamp in her hand, watching the departure of her client with evident satisfaction at the result she haa wrought in her. •It is my turn," cried all the impatient creatures pushing round the motphinuese, and seeking to enter her sanctuary. At last the old hag took one ot them by the hand and led her into her room. Before the door closed behind them I heard the client say. ' Madame Claire, you must give me at the very least three injections in each arm.' The only remedy for persons habituated to taking morphia is gradually to diminish the dose.