There are two classes especially blamable for this—the physicians and the druggists. In the early history of the use of the hypodermic syringe the danger of contracting the habit through its frequent use was not recognized, and the physician was not then to blame. At the present time, however, knowing fully the dangers incident to its use, the physician is criminally careless in placing the instrument in the hands of the patient or her friends for their use. If he does not appreciate the full extent of the danger, he is culpably ignorant, and certainly deserving of punishment. The deaths, and dangerous accidents, and the spread of the continued use of narcotics, is due, to a great extent, to the druggists, who, in many cases, sell the drug without a physician’s prescription, and without any reasonable excuse on the part of the patient, in direct violation of the law. Chloral is sold to men just recovering from a spree; prescriptions containing large amounts of these drugs are renewed for patients for whom they were not originally given; the druggist himself often prescribes a mixture of chloral, morphine and bromide of potassium, for repentant drunkards, or for patients suffering from insomnia. When spoken to about this matter, they coolly excuse their practices with the remark that “if we don’t do it, some other druggist will; and why should we lose the money.” The laws relating to the sale of poisons are loose and inefficient, the practice rotten, and the statute really a dead letter. Dangerous and even fatal consequences[105] are not, then, so much to be wondered at. Another matter in this connection needs attention, viz: the lying pretensions of a few charlatans, notably in the West, who, by specious advertisements and deceitful lies, induce the victims to these habits to buy their medicines, or come under their care for treatment. Their so-called specifics are simply preparations of opium or morphine, and their treatment is based upon the plan of _substituting one form of the drug for another_. These sharpers are utterly without conscience, and do not scruple to prey upon and undermine the health of their victims, in order to gain a few dollars. It is about time that the people found out that honest, honorable and trustworthy physicians, who have only the good of the patient at heart, do not advertise. It is a shameful fact that the religious press tolerates the advertisements of these charlatans in their columns. As a rule, the vilest advertisements are to be found in these newspapers. Owing to the moral weight supposed to be carried by these sheets, owing to their large circulation among the people, who look upon every word therein contained as truth, these announcements and endorsements do the people an infinite amount of harm. Can it be that the financial “backers” of these papers overrule the scruples of the religious editor? If so, while a good investment financially, it must be a very poor one morally.