The danger of forming the habit from the use of the drug in this way is undoubted. Correspondents, physicians from all parts of this country, England and France, assert this and detail cases. Levenstein[4] gives many instances in Germany, and Dr. Loose, of Bremen, sends me the report of an able paper read by him before a medical society, wherein he cites cases, deplores the rapid spread of the practice, and advises special legislation upon the subject. He remarks for that country what Dr. J. B. Mattison, myself and others have noted in the United States, _i. e._, that many of the victims are members of the medical profession, in good standing. One hundred and thirty-one physicians report to me one hundred and eighty-four cases of the morphia habit, in all of which it was contracted by the use of the hypodermic syringe. The largest amount taken in the twenty-four hours by this method is reported to me by Dr. W. F. McAllister, of the Quarantine Office, San Francisco, California: “A physician, resident in this city, contracted dysentery in Shanghai, China, in the summer of 1873. Morphia was used hypodermically, and he drifted into the habit of using the drug in this way himself; the habit resulting in his death in 1878. I was called to see him professionally in 1875. He was at that time residing in Hong Kong, China. He was consuming each day _seventy-two grains_ of the sulphate of morphia in three doses: twenty-four grains to the dose. This he continued to do until the day of his death.” [Illustration: FIG. 1.—Hypodermic Syringe. Glass cylinder with metal casing. Indexed on glass. FIG. 2.—Plain Glass Syringe, with needle. Index on stem. FIG. 3.—Plain Metal Syringe, graduated on stem. FIG. 4.—Plain Metallic Syringe, graduated on stem, with a cap for securely closing needle end of barrel, and a device by which needle can be carried in hollow stem. This is an excellent instrument. All those here shown were made by Codman & Shurtleff, of Boston, and are durable, accurate and easily cleaned.] Prof. T. Gaillard Thomas, of this city, relates to me two fatal cases, in young persons, death being due to extreme exhaustion, dependent on imperfect nutrition and a gradual depression of the nervous and circulatory systems. In consequence of the skepticism evinced by some physicians as to the danger of contracting the habit in this way, I feel myself called upon to urge upon them the utmost care in the use of this instrument, especially in the case of neurasthenic patients. I have had so many deplorable cases of this kind brought to my notice, either as patients or through correspondence, that I cannot help but feel that this matter is one of great importance, and worthy of more attention and care than is usually given it.