Drug Abuse

DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON MORPHINE AND HEROIN ADDICTION (ROLLESTON) 1926

MINUTE OF APPOINTMENT OF THE COMMITTEE

I hereby appoint
Sir HUMPHRY D. ROLLESTON., Bart., K.C.B., M.D., P.R.C.P.,
Sir WILLIAM WILLCOX, K.C.I.E., C.B., C.M.G., M.D., F.R.C.P., 
J.W. BONE, Esq., M.B., C.M.. B.Sc.,
R. W. BRANTHWAíTE. Esq., C.B., M.D., D.P.H.,
Professor, W. E. DIXON, M.A., M.D.. F .R.S., 
JOHN FAWCETT, Esq., M.D., F.R.C.P.,
A. FULTON, Esq., M.B.. B.C.,
J. SMITH WHITAKER, Esq., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.,

to be a Committee to consider and advise as to the circumstances, if any, in which the supply of morphine and heroin (including preparitions containing morphine and heroin to persons suffering from addiction to those drugs may be regarded as medically advisable, and as to the precautions which it is desirable that medical practitioners administering or prescribing morphin or heroin should adopt for the avoidance of abuse, and to suggest any administrative measures that seem expedient for securing observance of such precautions.

I hereby further Appoint Sir Humnphry D. Rolleston to be Chairman, and E. W. Adams, Esq., O.B.E., M.D., and R.H.Crooke, Esq., to be Secretaries of the Committee.

(Signed) JOHN 'WHEAT LEY .
30th September, 1924,

I hereby extend the Terms of Reference to the Committee as follows :-
To consider and advise whether it is expedient that any or all preparations which contain morphine or heroin of a percentage lower than that specified in the Dangerous Drugs Acts should be brought within the provisions if the Acts and Regulations and, if so, under what conditions.

(Signed) NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN.
12th February, 1925.


1. We, the Committee appointed by your predecessor's minute of 30th September, 1924, have the honour to submit the following report on the subjects therein referred to us. namely : --

"To consider and advise as to the circumstances, if any, in which the supply of morphine and heroin (including preparations containing morphine and heroin) to persons suffering from addiction to those drugs may be regarded as medically advisable, and as to the precautions which it is desirable that medical practioners administeringing or prescribing morphine or heroin should adopt for the avoidance of abuse, and to suggest any administrative measures that seem expedient for securing observance of such precautions " ,

as well as on the subject, subsequently referred to us on 12th February, 1925, in accordance with the suggestion of the Committee, namely :-

" To consider and advise whether it is expedient that any or all preparations which contain morphine or heroin of a percentage lower than that specified in the Dangerous Drugs Acts should be brought within the provisions of the Acts and Regulations and if so, under what conditions."

2. We have held 23 meetings, at 17 of which we took oral evidence. A list of the witnesses is given in an Appendix.

3. The matters referred for our consideration appear to fall under four main heads, namely :--
(i) the circumsstauces, if any. in which it may be medically advisable to administer morphine or heroin to a person known to be suffering from addiction to these drugs ;
(ii} the precautions which medical practitioners ought to adopt in administering these drugs, both generally and with particular reference, to persons suffering from such addiction: 
iii) the administrative measures, if any, which we might think it advisable to recommend to secure due observance of such precautions;
(iv) the advisability or otherwise of bringing within the scope of the Dangerous Drugs Acts preparations of morphine or heroin containing percentages of the drugs lower than are at present included.

4. Our report is divided into six sections. The first contains certain preliminary observations; the second summarises the results of our inquiries respecting certain medical aspects of the problem of addiction; the remaining four deal , in the order above stated, with particular matters arising under our Terms of Reference.