Dumez, United States public health service.
"The number of individuals addicted to the use of opium, its preparations or alkaloids, and coca leaves, their preparations or alkaloids, in the United States has at various times been estimated to be from 200,000 to 4,000,000," says the committee. "These estimates must, however, be looked upon as mere guesses.
"Owing to the lack of laws and regulations making it compulsory for the registration of addicts, it has been impossible for the committee to obtain information which would give the exact number of addicts in the United States.
"Causes of Drug Addiction.
"The causes of drug addiction in the order of frequency were given by police authorities as follows: Use of physicians' prescriptions, association with other addicts, prohibition, use of narcotic drugs for chronic diseases, curiosity to learn the effect of the drug, prostitution, use of patent or proprietary medicines, use of certain narcotic drugs as a stimulant, idleness, and use by dentists.
"What effect, if any, nation-wide prohibition will have on the situation could not be definitely determined by the committee," the report says. "The consensus appears to be that the number of addicts will increase as soon as the prohibition laws are known."
This opinion apparently receives some support from investigations made in some of the southern states where prohibition has been in effect for some years.
FINDS CLUE TO BURIED GOLD
Custodian of Ruins of Jesuit Mission in Arizona on Track of Ancient Treasure. 