Eight Years in Cocaine Hell: The True Story of a Victorian Woman's Descent into Madness and Addiction

by Annie C. Meyers

"To the sensitive (cocaine) is soothing, to the stupid it is enlivening, to the exhausted it gives strength and mental vigor. To the sufferers from pain it gives peace…" Dr. T.D. Crothers, 1899"I never used any other drug but the clear cocaine and I believe that I am the only living person in the world to-day who ever took two hundred grains in twenty-four hours and survived." Annie C. MeyersThe autobiographical Eight Years in Cocaine Hell (1902) recounts in shockingly straightforward style the transformation of Annie C. Meyers, affluent and well-connected Chicago widow, to junkie, thief, forger, inventor of the 'Cocaine Dance', and ultimately authoress of the first drug confessional written by a woman.It was 1894. Annie Meyers had a bad cold, and her lawyer advised her to try Birney's Catarrh Powder, in which then-legal cocaine was a principal active ingredient. She rapidly became addicted to the drug, ran through her money and travelled the USA shoplifting, house-breaking and writing forged checks to support her habit.Arrested repeatedly, miraculously escaping a custodial sentence, Annie finally tried safe-blowing and was collared for the final 'homeless and friendless, degraded and frenzied, insane, a broken-down and pitiful wreck of what I had once been.' She had lost most of her teeth (one gold tooth she had extracted herself and sold), her upper jaw was eaten away and ulcers covered much of her body. She was down to about five and a half stones in weight. Remarkably, and happily, she recovered, with the help of her long-suffering sister and the St. Luke Society, who encouraged and originally published this concise, ground-breaking memoir."Her book established a literary genre, and her case helped to outlaw cocaine." Stuart Walton, Intoxicology

77 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2016

Reviews

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When browsing at Amazon through the Dean Street Press section, they bring older books to Kindle, I found Annie C. Meyers' Eight Years in Cocaine Hell: The True Story of a Victorian Woman's Descent into Madness and Addiction, this was written in 1902, hence that really interest me greatly, so I had to read this. This is an extremely short account of her life as an addict and she states that this is far from all her miserable deeds. Having recovered she was encouraged to give her account to help others prevent her tragedy and the sales of her short book went to donations to help others.

She had started out as a young widow in high standings descended to a haggard addicted criminal. The sympathy of some helped her into further troubles but her life of crime to support her habit caused her to be watched closely. Annie and her sister lived in Chicago, so being from Chicago and knowing Illinois towns mentioned, I was trying to imagine how it all looked then. Stores like Marshall Fields were mentioned where she was a shoplifter.

There were three black and white pictures of before, during and after recovery which was interesting. The section about the author, it seems to be a typo in the year of her birth which she states differently and makes little sense making her too young, I reported the error to Kindle.


A lawyer noted Annie's severe cold suggested Birney's Catarrh Remedy which contained cocaine which started the addiction. Stuart Walton's Intoxicology was introduced at the end giving one a taste of this modern author on drug addiction which I did not read but might interest others.

I am against legalization of drugs and all one has to look at is the progression of the normalcy of marijuana which brings about the public thinking all is okay, now is it really. You are free to disagree with me. Prescription drugs are also a problem, society is too apt to treat with another pill, medications are necessary but keeping in mind the overuse. Questioning the need of something prescribed is the way to go and it will make your doctor think twice if it is really needed.



"I never used any other drug but the clear cocaine and I believe that I am the only living person in the world to-day who ever took two hundred grains in twenty-four hours and survived.” Annie C. Meyers The autobiographical Eight Years in Cocaine Hell (1902) recounts in shockingly straightforward style the transformation of Annie C. Meyers, affluent and well-connected Chicago widow, to junkie, thief, forger, inventor of the ‘Cocaine Dance’, and ultimately authoress of the first drug confessional written by a woman. "

"Her book established a literary genre, and her case helped to outlaw cocaine.” Stuart Walton, Intoxicology. "

"In 1894, while attending to some legal matters, my lawyer, who noticed that I was suffering from a severe cold, advised me to try Birney’s Catarrh Remedy. He gave me a bottle and that started me on my downward course. From a well-balanced Christian woman, I became a haggard and wretched physical and mental wreck. "

"These and other incidents only go to show that drug fiends have a sort of superhuman smartness in evading the detection of crime. "



"Cocaine has only been used about twenty years and has made more wrecks and caused more havoc than all the other drugs combined, as it is the only drug that will soften the bones and eat the flesh. It is worse than leprosy and many thought I had leprosy, as the bones were coming out and I lost my teeth and part of my jaw bone while using it."

I was fascinated, reading and thinking of this woman, who became "The Drug" and her being of "The Person" slowly was dissolving, not only her physical and mental being but spiritual being which can make or break you.

[Cookie M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

While true, this is more a recitation of attempts at shoplifting and how the author got away with it than what cocaine addiction did to her. A very short book.