Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-08
THE DOCTORS.
What They Said Yesterday.
Intemperance Scientifically Discussed
They Don't Believe the
Snake Story.
Interesting Papers Read, Committees
Appointed, and Then the Society
AdjOurns Until Next April.

luelilJ Tic lcolucui cicct, III. All Dlezs
men, IN the chair. ;
The morning business having been dis
posed OF, DR.. w. P. Jones, Of the Commit
tee on
ESSAYS AND EssAYIsTs,
reported as follows:
The committee appointed to select sub
jects for essays and eSsayists for the next
annual meeting Of the Tennessee Medical
Society, make the following report:
DR.. j. w. Maddin, Sanitary Medicine.
DR.. George A. Baxter, Puerperal Mania.
DR.. Thos. Menees, Placenta Preria.
Or. George w. Moody, Cholera Infan-
tum.
DR.. Paul F. Eve, Use of the Trephine.
DIR. T.. D. Davenport, Pneumonia.
Dr.. Vim. L. Nichol, Postpartum Hal
morrhage.
DR.. Van 5. Lindsey, Deformities of
Lower Extremities.
DR.. J. II. Dickens, Change of Type Of
Disease.
DR.. w. N. VeFtress,
"Your committee suggest that essayists
who have failed to read papers at this ses-
sion be continued upon the subjects here
tofore assigned them"
On motion of DR.. J. B. Lindsey, DR.. W.
p. Jones was added to the list of essayists,
with instructions tO'pTepare an essay on
the subject Of "The Insane Asylum Of
Tennessee" which was agreed to.
THANKS.
DR.. LipscOmb offered the following:
."Resolved, that the thanks of Tennessee
Medical Society be rendered the reporter Of
the UNION AND AMERICAN for the full
report of yesterdays proceedings, as pub
lished Ia this mornings paper"
DR.. Menees moved 70 amend by adding
the reporter Of the Banner, as that paper
had also published a report, to which sug-
gestiOn DR.. LipscOmb responded that he
had not read the Banner, and had seen but
one reporter in the hall yesterday, and
knew that the UNION AND AMERICAN had
published very complete report. Be ac-
cepted the amendment and the resolution
was adgted.
On motion Of DR.. I. A. Atchison, a vote
of thanSs was returned the Nashville hotels
and the various railroads leading TO this
city, for fayoTs shown the Association in
the way Of reduced rates, a report showing
the rates of fare offered by the Railroad
Companies having been presented By Dr..
Duncan Eve.
NEW MEMBERS.
The following named were proposed as
new members Of the Society, and admitted:
DIS. w. 4. Atchison and II. l.. Turney Of
Nashville, w. I. Allen Of Gallatin, and
Rufus A. Crockett Of Brentwood:
CHOLERA.
An interesting paper on cho.eTa-the
cause and treatment Of the disease, was
read by the President.
WILL HE DRINK WINE?
The following essay, which is Of peculiar
interest just now, in view Of the present
agitation Of the temperance question, was
contributed by DR.. Swan n. Burnett, Of
Knoxville, the subject Of the essay being
@Dipsomania'
"'Will the coming man drink wine% 4
question more pregnant of interest, o.
more important in its bearing towards our
future civilization, could hardly be asked
of the scientific man. For such magni-
luGe and form has the question assumed
that il is now. by general consent, given
over TO the man Of science for his earnest
investigation, and to him we look for an
answer. OF course We mean, shall he
drink wine to exceSs9 not shall he use it,
but shall be abuse il? For the suppression
Of intemperance, we have trusted to the
Influences Of moral refOrmers and legisla-
tive enactments long enough to have de-
mCnstTated their utter futility.
Statistics show that, il spite Of temper
ance organizations, (tO say nothing Of cru
saders) and Maine liquor laws, the vice Of
incompetence IS as rampant in our land as
ever before. We cannot, then, look to
these for any help in staying its progress,
but must revert to the scientific investi-
gator who shall study the subject in all its
bearings, hunt out its causes, and mark
ont its natural history, just as he would
that of any other form Of disease.
"It has always been thus in the history
of the world. When peStilenCe has stalked
abroad, leaving death and devastation in its
train, eflOIts were first made to stop its on
ward march by prayers and meant atiOns;
and later, by ill-adv-sed legislation. 1t
was only, however, when the subject was
handed over 10 the scientist, who sought
the fORS ct OrigO and applied his remedy
thereto, that any ameliOratiOn was obtain
ed. And thus, it seems, must be the case
with intemperance, which in its effects is as
terrible as the 'peSLilence that walked in
darkness
at is only one form Of this evil that we
shall present to your consideration at this
time. The general influence Of alcohol
upon the human economy in health and
disease, and drunkenness in the form Of
alcoholism, we shall leave out Of cOnsidera-
ton, except SIS they may bear upon the one
form Of intemPerance upon which we have
the honor TO report to you, viz, dipsO-
mania.
"The first question that presents itself is,
is there such an affection as dipsOmania
per SC! This must be answered IN limiRe,
for if there is not, any further investigation
will be only a loss Of time and labor.
"At present the opinion on this point, Of
the majority Of those who have made the
subject Of inebriety in its various forms a
special study, seems to be fixed, and the
general verdict is in favor Of the existence
of true mania tor drink.
"Dr. Morgan, in q recent work on sal
cohOlism, its various forms, etc." says,
that dipSomania is a distinct form of in
stinCtiye monOmania. Quoting Trilah, he
says that drunkards are men who get
drunk when the get the chance Of drinking,
dipsomanics are people. suffering from dis
ease who Diet grunk whenever they have an
attack Of their peculiar disorder. There
are too many histories on record of this |
morbid impulse to drink TO admit of a |
doubt Of its existence. In the December |
Of the Nelg York Psychological |
and Medical Surgery journal, DR.. George |
Burr communicates in paper on the sin |
sanity Of inebriety' several interesting |
cases in point.
CDR. Bush records a case in which he /
says, IN reference to au habitUal drunkard /
IN Philadelphia, who, when strongly urged |
by one Of his friends to leave off drinking, |
replied, were Eeg Of rum in one corner Of |
a room, and were a cannon constantly dis /
charging balls between me and it. l could /
not refrain from passing before
that cannon in order to get at /
the rum. DR.. McNeish describes in /
bis dHGtOmy Of Drunkenness case where
a friend painted to him the distress of his
family, the loss Of his business and charac-
ter and the ruin Of his health, to which he |
replied: MY good friend, your remarks are
Just; they are indeed too true; but l can no
longer resist temptation. If q bottle of
brandy stood al one hand and the pit Of
he'll yawned at the other, and 1 were con-
WINGED that l should be pushed in as sure
as l took one glass, l could not refrain
The late DR.. K, d. MISSY, Of Cincinnati,
relates another case. A few years ago a
-ippler was nut into an alms-hOuse in this
State. Within few days he had tried va
rious expedients 10 get rum and failed. At
length, however, he hit upon one which
was successful. He went into the wood
yard Of the establishment, placed one hand
UPON the block, and with an axe in the |