The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-02-27
Parton ON Inebriate Asylums.

Mr.. Parton las followed up his articles on to-
bacco and wine in the Atlantic M0RLiIg. by a
paper ON Inebriate Asylums, and the cure for
drunkenness, which appears in the October num-
her of the abOve-namCd periodical. Ii Is interest
ing as it suggests the means by which habits of
inteInpcrancc may DC cured. The conclusions
are not usually those Of Mr.. Parton himself, but
in the main those Of DIR. Albert Day. the able
Superint,n dcnt Of the Inebriate Asylum at Bing-
hampton y. Y. DIR. Day was formerly at tie
head of tine Washington Home, at Boston, where
he became so noted for his success in the treatment
Of chronic inebriatiOn, that nc was called to his
present more responsible position.
"a His system of treatment combines both physical
and moral measures. First, he assumes that the
drunkard is n victim OF disease, whatever may
have been his moral delinquency in forming the
habit which has led to his overthrow. For his
disease the first requisite is entire and perpetual
abstinence from liquor. In the case OF both
regular and periodical! intemperIncc, . the general
effect of drinking''-we quote Mr.. Parton's sum
mary of the results of DIR. Days nvcstisations-
=. Is 10 enlarge the globulcs of which tile brain,
the blood. the liver. and other organs are compos-
cd, 50 that those globules, as it were, stand open
mouthed, empty athiIst, inilamed, and most eager
70 be filled. y man whose every organ is thus
diseased cannot usually take the first step toward
cure without ceasing for a while to make any
other demands upon himself. This is the great
fact OF his condition.
However long may have been the abstinence of
the former drunkard, this enlargement of the
glObulcs continues, and n single indulgence may
revive the smOuldering fires of appetite. 1t may
be remarked here, that DIR. Day does not favor
the - tapcring off, with his patients. but cuts
them of from all alcoholic s,imulants from the
moment Of their entering the asylum, supplying
their place with tonics and s~cdatiycs, when needed.
The second condition for the favorable manage
mcnt Of diIsJmania, as the word craving for
alcohol Is called, Is rest. The patient has become
- accustomed To the aid of stimulants. that lac is
unable to work without them. Unless he can
obtain a reasonable alienation from toll, his cure
becomes difficult, If not impossible.
A. Mr.. Parton says: . Ii lie Isl true drunkard.
j c., fine has lost the power To do his work without
excessive alcoholic stimulation, then there is no
cure possible for him without rest. The u~nfurtu-
nate man tries To- do two things ut once, the
easiest Of which l. az much rs lac can accomplish
while the hardest is a task which, even with the
advantage Of perfect rest, few can perform without
assistance
Third, and most important of all, is the moral
treatment Of the incbriate lie may bc relieved
Of III health by abstinence AMI medicine. yet ifhis
mind still sympathizz' with his old habits it lac
has not rcgained sclErcspcct, or acquired an
earnest desire u be iOrcyer freed from the thrall-
dom OF appetite, nothing can prevent his return
% hs cups the moment he i freed from restraint.
Ii II IN this direction that DIR. Day has been cs-
pccially Fortunate. His patients are treated. not
~ criminals but n gentlemen. They are well f-i
and lodged provided with innocent games and
rccrcati1ns a library supplies their intellectual
wants. and a chapel ticir moral wants, while sci
cntific and practical lectures on the effects Of alco-
hOl give those ignorant of its real qualities an
intelligent idea Of the poison in which they have
INDUCED. They are allowed u go in and out of
the buildings NJ pleasure, except in eases where
this liberty i likely 10 be abused. In short, DIR.
Days grand object IL to raise the tone Of bodily
health and To lUrtiiy the weakened will, diScrimi-
nation being exercised in regard to temperament
and physical and mental constitution of the pa
ticnt. There are scores Of men deemed irrcclaim-
able, who are now occupying positions Of useful
ness through the good sense and practical
LcucyOlcucc Of the Superintendent Of the Bing-
hampton Asylum.
When Mr.. Parton first visited the institution.
he saw fifty or sixty wcll-drcsscd gentlemen in the
either playing bail or watching the game.
lie saws
q. When looked upon this most unexpected
scene, 1t did not tor n moment occur to me that
these serene and hcalthy-loOkinE men could be
the inmates Of the asylum. The inscnsatc name
Of the institution prepares the visitor 10 see the
patients lying about III various stages Of intOxica-
ton. The question has sometimes been asked Of
the Superintendent by visitors looking about them
YccrIng into remote corners, but, doctor.
where do You keep your drunkards p The as
u such inquirtrS l. great indeed. when
are informed that the polite and well-dressed
standing about, and in whose hearing
question was uttered. are the inmates Of the
every individual OF whom was till
recently. not merely a drunkard but one of the most
inNauccu character, iOI whose dellYerance from
miserable bondage almost every one had
'cIscd 70 hope. \ large majority Of the inmates
ire persons Of education and respectable position.
Who pay for their residence here at rates varying
so 10 $50 n week, and who are co-opcrat-
NJ arlcntlv with the Superintendent for their
ccDycTv. More than half Of them We're officers Of
lac navy or army during the late war, aud lost
,utrYl OF themselves then. One in ten must be I
y law a free patient and whenever an iuebriate
raily desires 10 break Lis CLAIM. hc l. met half 1
La fLa IrHr-FUH- md Ir- f.4urN II HN4l NJ "a I
that acourds with liz circumstances. y few !
aucut- have been taken as low as five dollars Il =
week. When once the building has been COM
lrtcl. tie grounds hid out, and the farms
-lu-yd COZ. tIc Trustees hope never q turn from
ic d.r %. tH" institution any proper applicant Il