Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-10-02
Best Cure for Intoxicating Habits.


The question has often been asked in simply medi-
cal point of view how the habit of ntoxicaton is best
averted or cured 1t is we'll known to all physicians
that persons consttutonay more disposed to
it than others hereditarily and some from the
effects of dugences long since abandoned so lar as IN
their power yet so inclined to it that their setco1tro
their sanity and strongest powers of will though they
may be perfect at all other points, completely 1rus-
trated here 1t may be sad indeed that this being the
result of former dugences is their fault but this
even does not make it less their misfortune and if such
are sincere in their efforts to abandon it. so much
are they deserving of all the assistance that can be
dered to them
1t belongs to all wrong doing thus generate ten
dency to reproduction. If the who has thus inur
ed himselfs to be esteemed guilty, the ques
ton might vet remain in morals precisely whether
the guilt lay chiefly the present in the past acts of
his life, whether he is to be regarded and treated
rather morally insane this topic, than Immediately
and simply reprehensble Almost all men have their
weak spOts and few poast of perfectly sound ply
steal mental and moral constitution. The physician
can sometimes cure these best because it is not his
duty to consider where the fault lies but only how it is
to be remedied
1t is well known that Coleridge had become inat-
uated by and addicted to, the of opium, that his
friends had all given him up for lost One OF his warm
est admirers hired to watch him night and day,
and prevent his getting to the penlclous drug
But he bated his guard again and again. AT last, at
ter suffering agOnies OF remOrse, such as even his own
graphic pen cOnfesseS itself unable to describe, In the
depths of humility and cOntrOn, he sought ont judi
cOus physician to whom he revealed his whole case, his
struggles and his DESIRES placed himself under his con-
troll and care and lived, and finally died. in that mans
house after successful reformation of five and twenty
years The confession of his weakness, and the reaza
ton that however guilty i'll its causes, it was now case
of moral nSansity suppose was What saved him to be
cured by medical means.
There are MANY men who from various causes of early
habits seem periodically to require great excite
ment, either physical, mental, or moral Hence the
uncomfortable spells of drinking into which men
will fall occasionally in the absence of mental stimulantS
bitterly as they regret it, and mourn over it at other
times resolve against it, against it. The butler
of the celebrated William Pitt used to relate that his
master would first of all give him strict orders not tC
bring up more than much wne and afterwards, when
it was gone he would call for more, ORDER threaten
rave, and dragged the butler down stairs to the
cellar by main force, to get more wine.
Very frequently is found that great mental excite
ment and exertion may be substituted for these physi
cal paroxysms. Thus it remarked of the late Sena
tor Rusk, that although in early life much addicted to
occasional revels of this kind yet that he warmed in
to political life, these periods became and more
rare and that in proportion to the excitement of any
cason he would rise to it, calm and clear Strong men
tai moral excitement then seems to form one OF the
very best counterrritans remedies against this
ing thirst for physical stmuants. The only danger is
that in any moment of reactionary depression, always
liable to after great excitement the danger OF al
ling into the of stimulans is proportonably great
With proper medical and watchuness these peri
odca cravings for excitement will however, become
less and less frequent and also subside in violence.
The strength of this craving however, when once
aroused, is 50 vehement that only conjecture
that without some mode Of satisfying it, it would perhaps
prove fatal Indeed, the sudden and total cessation O
the use Of stmuants is of the most frequent causes
maniaapotu But the substitute of one form of excite
ment for another gradually tapering off the whole into
healthul regular activity of the whole man, is what
to be aimed at in all such cases. while care must be Ia
ken to allow full scope for this exctabiity of tempera
ment in some other way than by drink, until it sub
sides of itself.
A mere physician OF the body would utterly fail il
such work as this. The whole man, physical, menta
and moral must be considered studied, watched excited
Gained to just the proper degree, the only means
of restoring to his right mind and true nature one wh
has wandered from the paths of reason.
Could private hospital be formed, under the charge
of physician of ability to reach the whole complex
tiles of these cases. study their history and DESIRE there
are hundreds perhaps thousands of families Of large for
tune who would willingly pay any fair amount and VIII
would rejoice to place their friends, and some to ente
themselves, under the care of such friend as such
physician would prove. philadelphia Ledger.