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 The Traffic in Narcotics

Historical References

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THE TRAFFIC
IN
NARCOTICS

by

H. J. ANSLINGER

United States Commissioner of Narcotics

And

WILLIAM F. TOMPKINS

United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Former Chairman, Legislative Commission to Study Narcotics, General Assembly of New Jersey

 

GLOSSARY

A.D. A drug addict.

ace. A marihuana cigarette.

ace in. To get into a narcotics-selling ring.

artillery, light artillery. The equipment for taking an injection of a drug.

bamboo. An opium pipe.

bang. The thrill in drug taking. Also to inject with a drug.

bang a reefer. To smoke a marihuana cigarette.

banger. A hypodermic needle. Also an addict who takes drugs by injection, a bangster.

bars of soap. Drugs.

bay state. A hypodermic needle.

belt. The exhilaration produced by drugs. Also the effect of drugs on their user.

bender. A drug orgy.

bendin. An addict who has taken drugs and is under their influence.

bending and bowing. Drug-exhilarated.

big bloke. Cocaine.

bindle. A small packet of heroin, morphine, or cocaine.

bing. A dose of a drug.

bingle. A drug peddler. Also drugs.

bingo. An injection of a drug.

birdie powder. Morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

biz. The business: the hypodermic needle used by the addict.

black stuff. Opium.

 

 

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blast. To smoke a marihuana cigarette.

block. A bindle of morphine.

blow. An inhalation of a drug by an addict.

blow coke, blow snow. To take cocaine by sniffing it up the nostrils.

blow one's roof. To smoke marihuana.

bluesage. A marihuana cigarette.

bo-bo-bush. Marihuana.

boot the gong. To smoke opium or marihuana.

bouncing powder. Cocaine.

bowin. An addict who has taken drugs and is under their influence.

bowler. An opium smoker.

bow-sow. Drugs.

brick gum. Gum opium.

brown rine. Heroin.

burned out. The sclerotic condition of the vein present in most conditioned addicts.

burnese. A catarrhal powder high in cocaine content.

burnie. A marihuana cigarette.

bust the main line. To take drug intravenously.

buzz. The effect of a drug.

C. Cocaine, term used generally by addicts.

cacil, cecil. Morphine or cocaine.

cadet. A new drug addict.

a Cadillac. Cocaine.

came. Cocaine.

carpet-walker. A drug addict.

carrier. A distributor of drugs to addicts.

caught in a snowstorm. To be under the influence of drugs, especially of heroin, morphine, or cocaine.

channel. The vein into which injections of a drug are made.

charley. Cocaine.

Charlie Coke. A cocaine addict.

Chinese molasses. Opium.

chino. A Chinese drug peddler.

chuck horrors. The enormous appetite for food an addict has he is cut off from drugs.

 

 

GLOSSARY Page 307

coconut. Cocaine.

coke. Cocaine.

coke-oven. A place where cocaine is sold.

cokie. An opium addict.

cold turkey. The method of curing drug addiction whereby an addict is taken off drugs with no tapering-off period.

connect. To buy drugs.

connection. A peddler who knows an addict and will sell him drugs.

cook. An attendant in an opium den.

cooked up. To be under the influence of cocaine.

Corinne. Cocaine.

cork the air. To sniff cocaine up the nostrils.

cotics. Narcotics.

courage pills. Heroin in tablet form.

croaker. A doctor who sells narcotic prescriptions (readers).

crying weed. A marihuana cigarette.

cube. Bootleg morphine.

cubes. Morphine tablets.

cut in. To get into a narcotic ring.

D.A. Drug addict.

dealer. A drug peddler.

deck. A small packet of morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

dip. A drug addict.

dipper. An opium pipe.

do-right john. One who is not a drug addict.

Doctor White, Old Lady White. Drugs, especially cocaine, heroin, or morphine.

dodo. A drug addict.

dope. Drugs. Also a drug addict.

dope booster. One who incites others to drug-taking and directs them to the peddler.

dope hop. The exhilaration produced by drugs.

dope jagg. A drug orgy.

doped up, dopey. To be in a stupor from the excessive use of drugs.

drag-weed. Marihuana.

dream gum. Opium.

 

 

THE TRAFFIC IN NARCOTICS Page 308

dream-stick. An opium pipe.

dreams. Opium pellets for chewing.

drive in. To smuggle narcotics.

dropper. The medicine dropper used by an addict as a makeshift hypodermic needle. Most addicts like the device.

dry grog. Drugs.

dust. Marihuana, heroin, morphine, or cocaine.

dynamite. Heroin or cocaine. Also a combination of cocaine and morphine.

dynamiter. A cocaine addict.

emergency gun. A hypodermic needle made from a medicine dropper and a safety pin.

eye-opener. The addict's first injection of a drug for the day.

factory. A hypodermic needle.

feeblo. A drug addict.

fire. To inject drugs with a hypodermic needle.

fix, fix-up. A drug which is about to be injected, or has just been injected.

flier. A drug addict.

flip. To become unconscious from an overdose of drugs.

floating. Under the influence of drugs.

flogged. Under the influence of drugs.

fold up. To take the drug cure.

foo foo dust. Morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

foolish powder. Morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

fraho. Marihuana.

fu. Marihuana.

fun. A ration of opium.

fun joint. An opium den.

G.O.M. God's Own Medicine: morphine.

gage, gauge-butt. Marihuana.

gapper. An addict who is desperate for drugs.

gazer. A Federal Government agent.

gee. Drugs, especially opium.

geezer. An injection of a drug.

ghost. An opium smoker.

ghow. An opium pipe.

giggle weed. Marihuana.

 

 

GLOSSARY Page 309

the girl. Cocaine.

give the go-by. To refuse to sell drugs to an addict.

glad stuff. Opium, morphine, or cocaine.

glass-eyes. A drug addict.

glass gun. A hypodermic needle.

go into the sewer. To inject a drug into the vein.

go on a sleigh ride. To experience the exhilaration of inhaling crystallized cocaine.

go over the hump. To attain exhilaration from using drugs.

gold dust. Cocaine.

gong, gonger, gongola. An opium pipe.

gong kicker. An opium addict.

goof. A marihuana addict.

goofed-up. Drug-exhilarated.

goofy. Crazed from the lack of a drug.

gow. Drugs, especially opium.

goynk. Opium.

grease. To use opium, especially to smoke opium.

great tobacco. Opium.

greta. Marihuana.

griefer. An addict who is habituated to marihuana or Mexican hemp.

griffo. Marihuana.

gum. Opium.

gun. A hypodermic needle.

gyve. A marihuana cigarette.

H. Heroin. Also a hypodermic needle; an opium pipe.

habit. Addiction to drugs.

habit smoker. A person addicted to opium smoking.

happy dust. Cocaine.

happy duster. An addict who sniffs cocaine up his nostrils. Also a peddler of cocaine.

happy powder. Morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

harpoon. A hypodermic needle.

Harry. Heroin.

have a habit. To suffer from the craving for drugs as a result of inability to procure them.

have a heat on. To take drugs, either once or habitually.

 

 

THE TRAFFIC IN NARCOTICS Page 310

have a monkey on one's back. To have the drug habit. Also to be suffering from withdrawal distress.

have an edge. To be keyed up, just after the drug exhilaration has passed and before the craving has set in again.

hay. Marihuana.

hazel. Heroin.

head. A drug addict.

headache man. A Federal agent investigating the drug traffic.

heaven dust. Morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

heesh. Hashish.

hell dust. Drugs, especially morphine or heroin.

hero. Heroin.

high, high and light. Under the influence of a drug.

hip layer. An opium smoker.

hit. A meeting with a drug peddler.

hitch up the reindeers. To inhale cocaine. Also to procure drugs and prepare for indulgence.

hit it. To use a drug.

hit the ceiling. To become exhilarated through smoking opium.

hit the gong. To smoke opium.

hit the grease, hit the mud. To use opium as a drug in any way.

hit the main line. To inject a drug into the vein.

hit the needle. To be addicted to injections of a drug.

hit the stuff. To be addicted to drugs.

hog. An addict who requires the maximum dose of a drug.

hokus. Opium.

honeymoon stage. Drug-exhilaration during its most agreeable period.

hoosier fiend. An inexperienced drug addict.

hop, hops. Drugs, especially opium.

hop head. A narcotics addict; originally an opium addict.

horse. Heroin.

hot dream. A dream experienced under the influence of opium.

hot shot. Poison concealed in a drug.

hygelo. A drug addict.

hype. A hypodermic needle.

hypo. An addict who self-injects the drugs with a hypodermic needle.

 

 

GLOSSARY Page 311

ice-cream habit. The use of drugs for a day or two a week without becoming addicted.

ice-tong doctor. An illegal practitioner of medicine who also sells drugs.

in high. The peak of exhilaration produced by cocaine, heroin, or morphine.

iron cure. A cure for addiction which the addict undertakes voluntarily.

jagged up. Drug-exhilarated.

jam. An overdose of a drug.

jive. Marihuana.

joint. The equipment for taking an injection of a drug. Also an opium den.

joker. A hypodermic needle. Also a dose of morphine taken by injection.

jolt. An injection of a drug taken directly into the vein. Also to give or take a dose of a drug by injection.

joy. Drug-induced intoxication.

joy dust. Drugs, especially cocaine.

joy flakes, joy powder. Morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

joy-popper. One who takes drugs occasionally (generally subcutaneously) without becoming an addict.

ju-ju. A marihuana cigarette.

junk. Drugs.

junked up. Under the influence of a drug.

junkey. A drug addict.

kick-back. A relapse into addiction after a period of abstinence.

kicking off. Sleeping off drug effects.

kick the habit. To stop using drugs.

kick the mooch around. To smoke an opium pipe.

kicks. The sensations derived from using drugs.

killer. A marihuana cigarette.

knock at the door. To abstain from drugs, to be taking a cure.

kokomo. A drug addict, especially a cocaine addict.

laugh and scratch. To inject or be injected with a drug.

laughing weed. A marihuana cigarette.

lay-out. The equipment used by an opium smoker.

lay the hip. To smoke opium.

 

 

THE TRAFFIC IN NARCOTICS Page 312

leaf. Drugs.

lean against the engine. To smoke opium.

leaper. A cocaine addict.

leapin. An addict who is under the influence of drugs.

leaps. Drug-exhilaration.

leur, luer. A hypodermic needle.

lighter. A drug addict.

load. A dose of drugs.

loco weed. Marihuana.

locus. Drugs.

log. An opium pipe.

M. and C. Marmon and Cadillac: a mixture of morphine and cocaine.

machinery. A hypodermic needle.

mahoska. Habit-forming drugs.

main line. The vein, usually in the forearm near the elbow, into which an addict (mainliner) injects the drug.

majonda. Drugs.

Marmon. Morphine.

Mary and Johnny. A marihuana cigarette. Also the marihuana plant.

Mary Ann. A marihuana cigarette.

Mary Werner. Marihuana. Also a marihuana cigarette.

mayo. Morphine, cocaine, or heroin.

medicine. Drugs.

megg, mezz. Marihuana. Also a marihuana cigarette.

midnight oil. Opium.

miggles, muggles. Marihuana cigarettes.

Miss Emma. Morphine.

Mister Fish. An addict who gives himself up to the law in order to break the habit.

Mrs. White. A drug peddler.

mojo. Drugs, especially morphine, heroin, or cocaine.

moocah, mootie, mu. Marihuana.

moota. A marihuana cigarette.

mosquitoes. Cocaine.

mud. Opium for smoking.

mule. One who sells drugs for the regular peddlers.

 

 

GLOSSARY Page 313

nail. A hypodermic needle.

narcotic bull. A Federal narcotic agent.

needle. The hypodermic needle or the substitute for one. Also to give someone a hypodermic injection of a drug.

needles. The nervous and muscular twitchings induced by the abstinence of an addict from cocaine.

nocks. Drugs.

noise. Heroin.

nose powder. Cocaine, heroin, or morphine, especially in a form for inhaling.

Number 3. Cocaine.

Number 8. Heroin.

Number 13. Morphine.

oil-burning habit. The drug habit.

Old Steve. Any powdered drug.

on the needle. Addicted to drug injections.

on the pipe. Addicted to opium smoking.

on the stuff. Addicted to drugs.

overcharged. In a stupor from an excessive amount of a drug.

over the hump. Drug-exhilarated.

pack of rocks. A package of marihuana cigarettes.

pad. A drug party.

panic. A scarcity of drugs, usually caused by the arrest of a big peddler.

pasty face. A drug addict.

pen yen. Opium.

piddle, pital. Hospital: a hospital or sanatorium where an addict may be treated.

piece. An ounce of morphine, heroin, or cocaine.

pill. A ration of opium prepared for smoking.

ping in wing. An injection of a drug.

pinyon. Opium.

piped. Under the influence of drugs.

pitch. To sell or smuggle drugs.

pleasure jolt. An occasional indulgence in drugs which does not lead to addiction.

poison. A doctor who will not sell drugs to an addict.

Poison Act. The Federal Narcotics Act.

 

 

THE TRAFFIC IN NARCOTICS Page 314

pop. An injection of a drug.

pot. A marihuana cigarette.

powder. A powdered drug.

pox. An opium pill. Also a ration of opium prepared for smoking.

prod, prop. A hypodermic injection.

pug. An opium addict.

puffing. Smoking opium.

pusher. A retailer of drugs to addicts.

Racehorse Charlie. Morphine, heroin, or cocaine.

reader. A prescription for narcotics which is sold by a doctor.

rear. The exhilaration produced by the daily dose of some drug, especially cocaine.

Red Cross. Morphine.

reefer. A marihuana cigarette.

reindeer dust. Cocaine, heroin, or morphine.

riding a wave. Drugged.

right croaker. A doctor who sells narcotics illegally.

roach. A partially consumed marihuana cigarette.

rockets. Marihuana cigarettes.

rock-pile cure. A sudden forced abstinence from drugs.

roll a pill. To prepare opium for smoking.

roll the boy. To smoke opium.

runner. Teen-age contact used to recruit new addicts.

safety. A safety pin used as a makeshift hypodermic needle.

Saxophone, Chinese saxophone. An opium pipe.

scat. Heroin.

score. A meeting with a drug peddler. Also enough money to buy a ration of drugs.

script. A prescription for drugs.

self-starter. An addict who voluntarily places himself in an institution in order to be cured.

sharp. To be elated by drugs.

shoot, shot. An injection of a drug.

shot in the arm. An injection of a drug into the bloodstream.

shot up. Under the influence of drugs.

shover. A drug peddler.

skamas. Opium for smoking.

skate. To use morphine.

 

 

GLOSSARY Page 315

skee. opium.

skin pop, skin shot. An injection of a drug beneath the skin.

hive. An attendant in an opium den.

sky the wipe. A hypodermic needle.

Sleigh. A drug addict.

sleigh ride. A spree after indulging in drugs. Also a drug addict.

slum dump. An opium den. Also a den for cocaine- or morphine-users.

smack, smeck, schmeck. Drugs, especially powdered drugs in the form of snuff.

smoke. A bout of opium smoking.

snake. An habitual smoker of marihuana.

snaved in. Drug-exhilarated.

sneeze it out. To stop using drugs abruptly.

sniffing, snuffing. Inhaling a drug.

snort. An inhalation of cocaine or heroin.

snow. Cocaine.

snowbird. A cocaine addict.

snow fall. A bout of cocaine- or morphine-using.

snow flower. A girl addicted to morphine.

snuffy. An addict who snuffs cocaine or heroin.

speed ball. A powerful shot of a drug, usually heroin and cocaine combined.

spike. A drug. Also a hypodermic needle; an injection of a drug.

spread. To smoke opium.

stem. An opium pipe.

stick. A marihuana cigarette. Also a home-made opium pipe.

stink weed. Marihuana.

stoned. Under the influence of drugs.

stuff. Drugs.

sugar, sweet stuff. Cocaine, heroin, or morphine.

swing-man. A drug peddler.

take a sweep. To inhale a drug.

tar. Opium.

tea. Marihuana.

tea-pad. A marihuana smoking den.

teo. A marihuana smoker.

Texas tea. Marihuana.

 

 

THE TRAFFIC IN NARCOTICS Page 316

toy. A measure of opium.

Turkey. A substance which does not contain narcotics or marihuana; not connected with cold turkey.

twist. A marihuana cigarette.

twist up a few. To smoke opium.

twitcher. A drug addict.

uncle. A Federal narcotic agent.

viper. A marihuana smoker.

wash up. To take the drug cure.

weed, viper's weed. Marihuana.

week-end habit. The use of narcotics irregularly without becoming addicted.

Whiskers. A Federal Government officer.

white silk. Morphine in crystal form.

white stuff. Any powdered drug, especially morphine, heroin, or cocaine.

whiz-bang. A mixture of, or the injection of a mixture of cocaine, heroin, or morphine.

wing-ding. A feigned fit or spasm thrown by an addict in attempt to obtain drugs.

Wings, witch. Cocaine, morphine, or heroin.

yen-hok.. A long steel needle upon which an opium pill is cooked.

yen pock.. A ration of opium prepared for smoking.

yen-pop. Marihuana.

yen-shee. The residue left in the opium pipe's bowl and stem after the opium has been smoked.

yen shee doy. Chinese. a Chinese drug addict.

yen-shee gow. A scraper for removing yen-shee from the opium pipe.

yen shee suey. Opium wine: yen-shee mixed with water or whiskey.