CHAPTER VI.
THE TREATMENT OF THE OPIUM AND MORPHIA HABITS.
So many of our fellow-men have been, in the past, are now, and will be, bound hand and foot in this terrible bondage, from which they seem utterly incapable of releasing themselves; so many illustrious men have offered themselves as living sacrifices to this false deity; so many lives have been ruined, homes desolated, hopes destroyed, ambitions smothered by it; so many of those dear to us have fallen beneath the shadow of this sickening evil; so rapidly is the habit spreading, that the question of its treatment and cure has become one of momentous importance.
Reading the histories of those cases where a cure was effected some years ago, one’s mind is divided between admiration of the great heroism displayed by the unfortunates, and pity for the agony which they were allowed to endure.
Great advances have been made in the treatment of this affection in the last few years, and to-day, although science is unable to substitute for the accursed drug one that can fully take its place, still she can lend a helping hand, whereby the ascent is made easier and more rapid. The suffering incident to the breaking of the habit can, in a great measure, be relieved.
The method strongly advocated and practiced by Levenstein, of Germany, I consider barbarous in the extreme, and dangerous. The following cases, a type of all, selected from those published in his book,[40] well illustrate this:—
Mr. von X., sent to the Institution by Professor Westphal, had caught cold while on a journey, which brought on rheumatic pains. To relieve him injections of morphia have been administered since 1872, at first by the medical attendant, and afterward by the patient himself, and in increased quantities, the largest daily dose having amounted to sixteen grains. The symptoms showing themselves in consequence of this use were loss of appetite and sleep, excited condition, emaciation, tremor of the hands.
On October 9, 1875, patient came into the Institution; he had injected morphia for the last time on the morning of the same day. At 10 P.M. patient went to bed and at once fell asleep. At 3.30 A.M. he was sick, felt very weak and prostrate, suffered from twitching in the lower extremities and diarrhœa.
October 10. In the morning patient had five relaxed motions. Frequent vomiting during the whole of the day. Excitement and intense craving for morphia increases hourly. In the afternoon he talks of suicide.
October 11. Patient has had no sleep during the night, but has been frequently sick. Severe vomiting continued until 11 A.M., but stopped entirely during the rest of the day. Patient complains of languid pains in the legs, severe pain in the stomach.