Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-08-24
is DRUNKENNESS Durable,
A Prescription for Utterly Graduating
all Desire for LiquOr---By One who
has Tried.


Putman's Monthly for August dis
cusses the question of inebriety with
practical originality. We suhjoin some
of the suggestions:
THE BEGINNING.
There is no "tapering off" with the
devil.
Either he has got you, or he has not
got you.
The first part of the medical treatment
10 this physical disease requires the i'm
mediate removal Of the patent from all
disturbing influences, of whatever nature.
There must be no noisy children about,
no quarreliDg women, no scandal mon
gers pouring over their distilled venom
to jar upon bis nerves and disturb his
spirit; he must have absolute quiet and
repose.
But to obtain this, there need not be
recourse to an asylum.
There is none so poor, no is worthy
to be saved, who has not friend.
Let him then reach some such friend,
trust and confile in him. and obtain the
required shelter, rest, aud attendance, for
a few days.
Having then gained this temporary
asylum, we will say that he drinks his
usual allowance of liquor, and retires to
bed in his usual condition of iuebriety.
TIE PRESCRIPTION.
He has taken care, in bis steadier mo-
| 10 al,
grain powders of bromide of potassium,
which he will get at first class drug
store, on presenting the following pre-
scrption, which he can either obtain from
physician, or write for himself; but it
is best TO submit it to a physician before
presenting:
Potassii Bromide 8 il.
| SignO. vi Pulv.
[Smith.l
THE STRUGGLE.
He has given himself two weeks
holiday. and bis friends have promised
to "see him through" and will keep their
promise, for it is sacred; and so he needs
not get out of bed at all, and one horri-
BILE fear is removed at once.
Now he takes one of his 90 grain
powders of bromide of potassium, and
the internal conflict begins. 1t is a NOR
tai fight with the foul fiend himself.
The patient has no cares, no thoughts.
Some one smooths his pillows, shuts out
the bright light which would torture his
eyes. airs the room TO suit him, and he
feels once more as though he were a
child again, nursed by his mother.
He does not want to eat, and he need
not eat. for he has nothing to do but to
lie still and fight! All! There is the
point. And now lie shall show of what
stuff be is made.
For there is no sterner, as there is no
nobler, battle waged than this conflict of
the sick man with himself and with the
devil who has gotten possession Of him.
FIRST RESULTS.
AT first the system, surprised by this
novel condition of things, waits patiently
enough, for It's usual morning corrective;
but at length, grown weary of waiting.
and becoming even impatient, as the best
regulated systems, not to speak of i'll reg
ulated ones, sometimes will, it begins to
make itself heard.
There is gnawing at the pit of the
stomach, cold sweats crawl down the
body, the skin is clammy. the head swins
around and about, the muscles become
completely relaxed, is entirely unstrung.
''strange dreams peiplex" the doing
brain, he slumbers for an instant, and is
awakened by spasm; cramps assail his
limbs. and hs kicks them out; ii pin
drops it has the reverberation Of ten pin /;
spots, black and white, dance before his
eyes, open or clt sed; hideous faces glare
at him. and change aud change like the
patterns of a kaleidoscope; out of the
pockets of bis coat, hanging over youder
there comes wheel, which increases it
self, and wbirls spirally in the air toward
him, till it vanishes under his very eyes,
and still, behind all this phantasmagoria.
be hears soft musical voice saying, "Be
not afraid! You shall win the fightp
And by and by the sedative which he
has taken, and which has insidiously
been seeking out the enemy's weak point
all this time, finds it. and the patient falls
into : sleep, the first natural sleep he has
had for years.
But he wakes again to find the conflict
going on harder than ever, and the crav-
ings stronger; and he takes second pow
der, say three hours after the first one,
and third at nightfall; and SO the day
passes.
THE SECOND DAY.
The second day is worse than the first.
The fancies are intensified; the system is
coming out from under the alcoholic in
fluence; and the reaction is the more ter.
ribe. But there must be no flinching
now! CeepiDg continually before the
mind, as it becomes clearer, the determi-
nation to crush out and root out, at any
cost, this vile enemy to health and pro-
gress, the sufferer may also remember
that each hour brings him more and more
under the influence of his only friend,
and each hour improves hisseondition and
increases his ability to continue the con-
fict successfully.
Food should not be taken, unless ur-
| oantlv desired and then II should he of