Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-04

The New York State Ioebriste Asylum
at Binghsmpton, is doing an, admirable
work in curing inebriates Of q dises Sc
which is injurious alike to mind, morals
AID body, and withal, exceedinly damaging
to the community at large. The success
that has attended medical treatment at this
| institution has been such as to induce tie
New York Journal Of Commerce to ssnd
one of its reporters TO the Asylum and
spend several days in making inquiries into
the general practice pursued, and describ-
| ing the same for the benefit Of the pub
lie. 1t is remarkable that not a
single death has occurred at this
institution, although, since 1867, it
has discharged over L. 800 patients, from 80
to 80 per cent. of whom were thoroughly
cured. To do justice to the Asylum as a
new specially, and to an important class Of
diseases, unfortunately too well known in
all part of our extended country, we copy
without sbridgement the report of three
cases as they occurred: ......-..-
81. An old man sixty-fve years Of age,
who has been drinking forty years, has been
drinking a quart of whisky a day for five
years. he came to the hospital Two weeks
ago.
''2. A man about forty-fiv5 years of age,
who has been drinking steadily for fifteen
years, has been drinking pint and half
of whisky or brandy day for six years
Has been here ten months.
"3. A man twenty i've years Of age, who
has been drinking for five years, latterly to
great excess, probably averaging for two or
three years pint of whisky or brandy a
day. Has been here about five months.
When the old man arrived he wss intel
lectually feeble, and his whole system was
tremulous. He suffered from loss Of appe-
lite and sleep, and looked like man in the
last stages of physical exhaustion. He was
really emaciated, but excessively bloated. 1t
was with difficulty that he walked from the
carriage 10 the door of the asylum. This
was al extreme Gaze, and he was allowed
y wine-glass full of whisky once every
four hours during the day. At bedtime
he was furnished with 40 grains bromide of
potassium and 20 grains choral in order to
make him sleep. This dose was repeated
10 two hours during the first three nights,
when he slept from five 10 seven hours.
The whisky was gradually decreased in
quantity. The first week he took u ounces
per day. The eighth, ninth and tenth days
he took s ounces; the eleventh, twelfth
and thirteenth, 6 ounces, and is gradually
weaving from it. In two weeks from now
the entire dose may be given up with safe
ty. After the third night one dose of po-
tassium and ChlOrsl was discontinued, and
on the tenth day he took bis last sedative.
He now slears well, has good appetite,
and appears cheerful ard perfectly con-
tented.
"Now we take The second illustration
a man forty-tive years of age. He was very
macated, and nearly bloodless. He had
an almost iDsatiate thirst for liquor, and
his cravings were expressed in language
that was pitiful. His pulse was beating as
high as l2O pulsations per minute. His nerv-
GUS system was shattered, he was very fee
bic, and altogether was a wreck of q man.
He vas not allowed to take any stimulant
from The time he ent red the asylum. His
treatment was Of patient whose organs
are all functionally deranged. The first
night he was treated with four repetitiens of
the 40 10 20 chloral and potassium dose
modified with each repetition, and this was
kept up for several successive nights until
he could sleep without. As soon as he got
little rest-say the third day--mercurial
alternatives were applied in order TO correct
arrangements Of the digestive ergars,
kidneys and liver, and .ecretions generally. |
This was continued week Then be was
put upon tonics of vegetable and min
eral Character, such as quiniue and iron.
This was kept up sbOus three months. |
Yesterday this man left the institution in |
excellent health, WEIGHING thiIty-four !
pounds more than when he came here. He |
is regarded as permanently Cured. His |
will power is restored, and his future con- |
dition depends upon himse f.
"Now, take the man twenty-five years of |
age. He CINE here IN a shaky, nervous |
condition. His appetite was gone, and he |
could not sleep for any length of time, or
with any degree of satisfaction His pulse |
indicated 10 throbbings per minute. he |
was treated about the saTe as the man |
aged forty years, mentioned above. He |
rot no alcoholic stimulsnt. He takes no |
medicine now, and does not look like q |
man who had been an excessive drinker.
81 will also cite the case of a man seventy
wears of age; had probably averaged pint
and half OF spirits day for the past five
years, and been a moderate drinker for
forty-five years before that. When be came
here lie was shout eon bis last legs" 1t !
REQUIRED the assistance Of two men TO get |
him into the building, not because he was