The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-12-07


| by immediate or exciting causes, botl
Eoi moral or physical nature. II
other words, accident and disease fre
quentIy produce Insanity in the deJiI
tdted brain of the intemperate man
while the same causcs would not pro
ducc insanity in the strictly temperate
In tho tables published by the Com
missicDcrs Of Lhnacy, in 1874, compre
hendiDg tho returns from Asylumi
in England and Wales, we find thai
out Of l2.007 cases whose causes were
returned, 1893, or nearly Is per cent
arc set down TO the account of intem-
/ perancc. In this account of intempe.
rance, the exciting cause, only, is re-
ferred TO. If the pre- disposing cause
was taken into account the per cent.
would be much larger. Prof CtrpeE-
ter writing upon this subject says, re-
terring TO the Glasgow Lunatic Asy
lum that one fourth Of the inmates
were brought into the institution By
intoxicating liquors There is an Asy-
lnm in the East Of London where the
proportion Of cases attribsted 10 in
temperance is Al per cent and those
cases arising out of this, in combina-
ton with other vices 90 per cent. And
IL is stated by Pr Macnish that of286
lunatics in Richmond Hospital, Dub
lin, one.haf owed their madness TO
drinking. In addition to taking the
statistics Of particular institutions, we
will take the proportion of lunatics to
the number of gallons Of Intoxicating
drinks used by various nations. In
Holland and Belgium where the con
sumption Of ardent spirits is two gal
Ions 10 every individual, there is one
lunatic TO every 1000 Of the people.
In France where the consumption is
five gallons to each person. there is one
lunatic to every 600 of the Inhabitants
In Normandy where there are and
a halt gallons consumed to every in .
habitGnt there is one lunatic to every
$50 OF the people. In America there
are three gallons consumed by each in
.dividual and our Asylum rccordsshow
one lunatic to $50. In England three
gallons are consumed by each person
and there is one lunatic to every
500 of the people. In Ireland there is
five gallons consumed to every man
woman and child. and they have in
that country one lunatic 10 every $50
of her citizens SO we see that the
number of cases of Insanity in any
country seem to be in proportion to
the number of gallons OF Intoxicating
liquors consumed by its Inhabitants
slightly varied by other local circum-
stances.
But there is species Of Insanity to
which l wish to direct ycur attention
particularly, and that is 0inomania.-
This kind of insanity exists in every
community and in some to an alarm
ing extent. 1t is for the cure Of this
form of disease that New York iscrect-
inga mammoth Asylum, where al-
ready the records show hundreds of
applicants from both sexes Of all pro-
f.ssions, trades and classes of society.
The Ohio State Medical Society has
pettioned the legislature of this state
TO establish an institution ut our Cap
itol of the same character, and other
states are moving in this direction; So
wc see that not only does intemper-
ance stand as the most prolific cause
OF crime. and the violator of law, fill
ing our poor houses, and private char
liable institutes, but also furnishes us
many inmates to our Lunatic Asy-
Iums as all other causes combined. =
Truly this is monster Of fiightful
men" ', '--
DR. Hutchinson Of the Glasgow As
sylum thus describes this form Of man
ia called 0inomania. 1T is quite diff
tcrcnt from drunkenness, which, how
ever, may lead to it; the distinguish
ing wark of the disease being the ir-
reSistiblo propensity to swallow slim.
ulants in enormous doses, whenever
and wherever they can be procurel.-
There are individuals who, at the fcs.
tive board invariably become excited,
if not intoxicated, but W ho are other
wise habltua!Iy sober, and in the
course Of the year drink much less
than others who never appear to be
under the influence of stimulants.
Others ihdulgein their poIations in Il
regular manner, and daily consume
large quantity ofliquor than is con-
sistcnt with good health or sobric-
ty. All these, however, possess
self control, and can, at any time,
refrain from stimnlants; but those af-
fcctcd with the disease cannot do SO,
however convinced they may be of the
impropriety of yielding TO their pro-
pcnsity, or however desirious they
may be to subduo it. l repeat that
the disease does not consist in the mere
act or habit of becoming intoxicated,
but in the irresistible impulse which
dries the unhappy being to do that
which he knows to be pcrniciouS and
wrong, and which in the intervals of
his paroxysms, he views with loathing
and disgust. He derives no pleasure
from taste, for he gulphs down the
liquor of whatever kind it may be; or
from society, for he generally avoids
society; but he only derives tempo
rary satisfaction from the qualification
of his insane impulse This disease
the Doctor divides into acute, periadic
and chronic. Of this last form Of the
disease he says, "tho patient is inccs-
sanity under tho most overwhelming
desire for stimulants. lie will disre-
gard every impedimont, sacrifice COM
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