Hospital connections and the publishing of various articles have since that time brought him into association with practically all phases and aspects of activity in the consideration and handling of the narcotic drug problem. He has listened to discussions of the subject by promoters; by reformers of various sorts; by those engaged in legislative, judiciary, administrative, custodial, penological, sociological, psychological or psychiatrical, medical and other lines of work, and by narcotic addicts from all classes and types of people and their friends and relatives, etc., in groups, or as individuals. Two vital elements seem to the author to have received insufficient consideration in the efforts to solve the narcotic drug problem. One of these elements is the sufferings and struggles and problems of the narcotic addict, and the other is the nature of the physical disease with which he is afflicted. This book is an effort to accomplish two things, first to present the two elements above stated, and second to outline, discuss and correlate various elements and conflicting activities so that each of us can appreciate the relation of his own endeavor to the whole narcotic drug problem, can realize the comparative importance of his own observations, and can cooperate with the others for the benefit of humanity, for the welfare of society and posterity and for the increased health and happiness and economic usefulness of the individual. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE vii I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 11 III. THE NATURE OF NARCOTIC DRUG ADDICTION-DISEASE 23 IV. THE MECHANISM OF NARCOTIC DRUG ADDICTION-DISEASE 35 V. REMARKS ON METHODS OF TREATING NARCOTIC DRUG ADDICTION 50 VI. THE RATIONAL HANDLING OF NARCOTIC DRUG ADDICTION-DISEASE 61 VII. RELATION OF NARCOTIC DRUG ADDICTION TO SURGICAL CASES AND INTERCURRENT DISEASES 85 VIII. LAWS, AND THEIR RELATIONS TO NARCOTIC DRUGS 95 IX. SOME COMMENTS UPON THE LEGITIMATE USE OF NARCOTICS IN PEACE AND WAR 114 X. GENERAL SURVEY OF THE SITUATION AND THE NEED OF THE HOUR 122 APPENDIX: HUMAN DOCUMENTS,--STATEMENTS OF SUFFERERS FROM NARCOTIC DRUG ADDICTION-DISEASE 137 THE NARCOTIC DRUG PROBLEM CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION It is a fact becoming more and more obvious that too little study and effort to interpret their physical condition have been given to those unfortunates suffering from narcotic drug addiction.