One of the chief and most serious phases of the narcotic drug problem, which for obvious reasons has especially called for legislation, is the illicit and illegitimate commerce in narcotic drugs. The class of addicts which constitutes a public menace is largely so supplied. This fact is recognized in the recent report of the Special Committee of Investigation Appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, in which is stated, “This illegitimate traffic has developed to enormous proportions in recent years, and is a serious menace at the present time. It is through these channels that the addict of the underworld now secures the bulk of his supplies.” This Report further states that “there is the so-called ‘underground’ traffic which is estimated to be equal in magnitude to that carried on through legitimate channels. This trade is in the hands of the so-called ‘Dope peddlers,’ who appear to have a national organization for procuring and disposing of their supplies. For the most part it is thought that they obtain their supplies by smuggling them from Mexico or Canada, although smaller quantities of these drugs are obtained from unscrupulous dealers in this country or by theft,” etc. There should be some way to dissociate entirely, conclusively and finally in the minds of the public the illegitimate and underworld traffic in narcotic drugs from the efforts of the honest physician to practice rational and scientific medicine in the help of the worthy and deserving addict. The regulation of the narcotic drug traffic of the underworld or “underground” is not the business of the medical profession, and the burden of responsibility for it should not be placed upon the shoulders of the medical profession or the consequences of it made to react upon the head of the honest physician and innocent addiction sufferer. There is a tremendous number of excellent and worthy and even illustrious people in whom addiction is in no way associated with vice, or other morbidity of mental or environmental origin, who are merely, solely and simply sick people suffering from addiction-disease, whose problem is the control of that disease until it can be arrested by competent therapeutic procedure, for which they constantly seek. Misconception of them and neglect of sufficient consideration of them is the tragic aspect of the narcotic drug situation, and causes tremendous individual and economic wastage. They do not in any way associate with underground traffic unless or until driven to it by failure of legitimate sources of opiate medication, or by the surrounding of legitimate sources with such restrictions as make the man of standing and reputation, afflicted with addiction-disease, fear possible publicity and economic detriment.