Morphine can be detected in the urine.
The urine in morphinomania reduces snlphate of copper if heated with caustic soda, and gives, although slowly, an abundant precipitate of copper oxide, Mille polarization and fermentation give a negative result. With phenythydrazin a precipitate of osazone, about 40 grains to the quart of urine, is obtained. This osazone is distinguished from glucosa zone by its point of coagulation, 316.4° F., which is much lower than that of glucosazone, and by the fact that it is soluble in water. Salkowski and Jas trowitz (Centralb. f. d. med. Wissen., No. 19, '92).
To detect morphine about twenty ounces of urine are collected from the suspected person. ff it has not an acid reaction it sl:ould be acidulated with dilute hydrochloric acid and concen trated to about three ounces, when it is allolled to stand in a cool place for twelve hours; then filtered. To the filtrate is added sufficient sodium car bonate to render it alkaline. It is then allowed to stand twelve hours; filtered and the precipitate collected and washed with distilled water made slightly alka line with sodium carbonate and dried. The dried precipitate is digested with pure alcohol at a gentle heat and filtered. This is evaporated to dryness, the residue is dissolved with dilute sulphuric acid, and tested for morphine by the iodic acid test, or other well-known tests. By this method morphine can be obtained horn persons taking but very minute amounts of the drug. Stephen Lett (Lancet, No. S, '98).
The temperature is lowered by alcohol sometimes several degrees, and slightly raised by opium. Etiology.—Opium-inebriety is much more common in the -United States than in Great Britain. It is computed by Crothers that there are 100,000 opium inebriates in the great American repub lic. For one case in England, I have known thirty in the United States, and I have had the opportunity of observing in person the enormous consumption in some of the States of the American union. 'Ile medical profession seems to afford the greatest number of victims.
Of 545 morphinomaniacs, 289 were doctors. Lacassagne (Brit. Med Jour., July 15, '93).
Seventy per cent. of personal cases were medical men. J. 13. Afattison (Jour. of the Amer. Med. Assoc., Aug. 4, '94).
Of male morphinists, the medical pro fession supplies the largest number: 40 per cent. Men of leisure come next, with 15 per cent.; then merchants, 8 per cent.; while peasants, clergymen, and politicians occupy the lowest positions on the list. Women of means are the most numerous class among the females, 43 per cent.; followed by wives of med ical men, 10 per cent. Editorial (Med. 'Record; Bull. of Pharm., June, '97).
Statistics as to morphine habitues treated in Prussian sanitariums show that, of 62 male patients, almost one third were physicians_, and of 18 married female patients, 3 were wives of physi cians. Editorial (Phila. Med. Jour., Oct. S, '98).
The reports from private asylums and public hospitals show that within five years medical men form a considerable part of their inmates, Specialists of nervous diseases sustain the same fact. The yonng and the middle-aged men are the most common victims. Often they are from that class of delusional thera peutists who want to prove everything, by personal experience, or who have ex alted conceptions of the power of drugs, and believe that researches in that direc tion will open the road to a physical millennium. T. D. Crothers (Med. Record, Nov. 25. '99).
Since 1884 there have been admitted into the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane 31 physicians who were ad dicted to the use of alcohol or some drug. In many of these eases the patients used both alcohol and morphine and several alcohol, morphine, and cocaine. ill these tt al. the hospital has received 1023 on the other hand, being a .111.11 for tit, insane rather than a re r int iatt s, it probably only re t, 1\ - those pa tb nts ilaVO SOMetrilat tit it I it rat,. d by reason of their habits. 1 s 31 patients, however, were not so .11%atood a. to toquire certification, but v,eitt ‘ohnitarily to the hospital. The (1,1, litti CO1114111 Dr. Crothers's arp s that from 10 to 20 per cent. of ysi, ions are intemperate in the use of al t t I and drm_rs. Editorial (Phila.