Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1886 — THE COCAINE HABIT. [ARTICLE]

THE COCAINE HABIT.

The Worst Slavery Known—New Revelations of Power. Cincinnati Times-Star. When cocaine was discovered the medical world exclaimed, “Thank heaven!” But useful as it is, it iB also dangerous, especially when its use is perverted from the deadening of pain for surgical operations, to the stimulation and destruction of the human body. Its first effects are soothing and captivating, but the thralldom is the most horrible slavery known to humanity. J. L. Stephens, M. D., of Lebanon, Ohio, was interviewed by our reporter yesterday at the Grand Hotel, and during the conversation the doctor said: “The cocaine habit is a thousand times worse than the morphine and opium habits, and you would be astonished,” he said, “if you knew how frightfully the hab.t is increasing.” “Whatare its effects?” “It is the worst constitution wrecker ever known. It ruins the liver and kidneys in half a year, and when this work is done, the strongest constitution soon succumbs.” “Do you know of Dr. Underhill’s case here in Cincinnati?” “That leading physician who became a victim of the cocoaiue habit? Yes. His case was a very sad one, but the habit can be cured. I have rescued many a man from a worse condition. ” “What, worse than Dr. Underhill’s?” “Indeed, sir, far so. Justin M. Hall, A. M., M. D., President of the State Board of Health of lowa, and a famed practitioner, and Alexander Neil, M. D., Professor of Surgery in the Columbus Medical College, and President of the Academy of Medicine, a man widely known, Kev. W. P. Clancy, of Indianapolis, Ind., from personal experience in opium eating, etc., can tell you of the kind of success our form of treatment wins, and so can H. C. Wilson, formerly of Cincinnati, who is now associated with me.” “Would you mind letting our readers into the secret of your methods?” “Well, young man, you surely have a good bit of assurance to ask a man to give his business away to the public; but 1 won’t wholly disappoint you. I have treated over 20,000 patents, in common with many eminent physicians, I, for years, made a close study of the effects of the habits on the system and the organs which they most severely attack. Dr. Hail, Dr. Neil, and Mr. Wilson, whom I have mentioned, and hundreds of others equally as expert, made many similar experiments on their own behalf. We each found that these drugs worked most destructively in the kidneys and liver; in fact, finally destroyed them. It was then apparent that no cure could be effected until those organs could be restored to health. We recently exhausted the entire range of medical science, experimenting with all knowm remedies for these organs, and as the result of these close investigations we all substantially agreed, though following different lines of 'inquiry, that the most reliable, scientific preparation'was Warner’s safe cura This was the second point in the discovery. The third was our own private form of treatment, which, of course, we do not divulge to the public Every case that we have treated first with Warner’s safe cure, then with our own private treatment, and followed up again with Warner’s safe cure for a few weeks, has been successful These habits can’t bo cured without using it, because the habit is nourished and sustained in the liver and kidneys. The habit can be kept up in moderation, however, if free use be also made, at the same time, of that great remedy.” “Yes, it is a world famed and justly celebrated specific! Like many other physicians, I used to deride the claims made for it, but I know now for a fact that it is the world’s greatest blessing, having sovereign power over hitherto incurable diseases of the kidneys and liver, and when I have said that, young man, I have said nearly everythng, for most diseases originate in, or are aggravated by, a depraved condition of the kidneys. ” “People do not realizj this, because, singular as it may seem, the kidneys may be in a very advanced stage of decomposition, and yet owing to the fact that there are but few nerves of sensation in them, the subject will not experience much pain therein. On this account thousands of people die every year of kidnev disease unknowingly. They'have so-called disorders of the head, of the heart and lungs and stomach, and treat them in vain, for the real cause of their misery is deranged kidneys, and if they were restored to health the other disorders would soon disappear. ” Dr. Stephens’ experience, that can l»e confirmed by many thousands whom he has treated, adds only* more emphasis to the experience of many hundreds of thousands all over the world, that the remedy he refers to is without any doubt the most beneficent discovery ever given to humanity.