Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

324sections of the country, all sorts of small towns out of Boston ; out inPalmer they have heroin and it is becoming more and more available,whatever the efforts of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.All they have done is to serve to drive the price up, and make it moreprofitable. They have also, in large measure, prevented doctors fromtreating this disease for a long time.They in large measure are responsible for this epidemic. We mustdo something to remove the addict from the streets, to remove himfrom the drug market. Obviously, with all the efforts of the narcoticsacts and the customs ser\ice, and what have you, more and moreheroin has come into this country every day. It is getting cheaperand better and our efforts must be concentrated on the addict in thestreet, getting him out of the market.This is why I feel tliat methadone is extremely valuable. I don'thave the same feelings about methadone that the previous witnessesdo. But I think of it in terms of removing the addict from the drugscene. Perse has this possibility, too, and I think it is an extremelyvaluable and useful thing.It also makes possible the study of addiction on the cellular level.This is the first time that they have a nonnarcotic antitoxin to thenarcotic. There are techniques, for instance, for injecting this materialdirectly into the brain, and in my hospital in Boston city they canput whatever they want to in any given area of the brain directlyand this can be studied, and this Perse is a tremendous breakthrough.I certainly hope we will be able to use it very soon.Chairnian Pepper. Well, Doctor, you said you sent about how m.anypatients down from Boston to New York?Dr. Davidsox. Between 45 and 50.Chairman Pepper, You can testify that about how many of thoseseemed to be cured or were detoxified ?Dr. Davidson. A great many of them do v.liat Reverend Masseyand Dr. Casriel pointed out, that they use it to cut down on theirhabits.I would say of those that I found, about one-third are clean. Thatis a tremendous cure.You know, for instance, there is one patient I did send down whocame back and said, "Doctor," she said, "I don't remember any morewhat it is like to be high. My body doesn't remember what it waslike to be higli on heroin.''Her roommate uses heroin, and her fiance uses heroin, and in abouta month she was using heroin again.I think that is in microcosm a good picture of the generalization.But when they told me that she didn't remember what it was liketo be high, that is extremely important because, you know, once youare hooked and you have the craving, however much will ])ower youcan apply, it just isn't enough, liecause day after day after day itis practically impossible, ])eo]ile will succumb.Everybody has a different strength of will, but everybody hashis breaking point, and this is why the cure rate, so-called, in placeslike Lexington and any other medical treatment has been in theneighborhood of 2 percent all these years.