To express this somewhat differently--a narcotic drug addict is an individual in whose body the continued administration of opiate drugs has established a physical reaction, or condition, or mechanism, or process which manifests itself in the production of definite and constant symptoms and signs and peculiar and characteristic phenomena, appearing inevitably upon the deprivation or material lessening in amount of the narcotic drug, and capable of immediate and complete control only by further administration of the drug of the patient’s addiction. In plain English, the sufferer from narcotic drug addiction-disease is one who experiences the symptoms and signs referred to above and which will be discussed later, as a result of lack of supply or physically insufficient supply of opiate drug. I know of no definition along any other lines which will include all who suffer from narcotic drug addiction. This symptomatology, and the mechanism or process which produces it, are the only common and characteristic attributes and possession of all opiate addicts. How these are developed and how they may be controlled and arrested is the demand which the sufferer from narcotic drug addiction, and society as a whole, are making. Until a competent and acceptable answer to this demand is in the general possession of those handling narcotic addiction, all other discussions will remain inconclusive, and all other considerations incidental, for purposes of definite and final solution. This is the medical problem of narcotic drug addiction, and until those who handle narcotic addicts, and those who control the handling of narcotic addicts, have recognized it, are familiar with it, and can to some working measure explain and control its sufferings, physical phenomena and symptoms and signs, they are unprepared to assist intelligently and competently in the solution of a problem which now as never before menaces the welfare of society. CHAPTER III THE NATURE OF NARCOTIC DRUG ADDICTION-DISEASE It is a pertinent question to ask, “What type or class of individuals become narcotic addicts?” The only correct answer unquestionably is, any type or class or individual to whom opiates are given for a sufficiently long time. It has yet to be demonstrated that there is any warm-blooded animal, which following sufficiently prolonged and constant administration of opiate drug, is immune to the development of the symptomatology and constant physical phenomena of addiction-disease.