The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-04
THE PASSION ron STRONG DRINK.
Experience and Views Of a Mas who has
Long Drank TO Excess.

To THE EDITOR ~ ITF SrN-.Sir: Hav-
ing been a steady and excessive drinker for
eight years past, your editorial in THE Sun OF
tho I'd inst, entitled The Diseased Passion
for Ardent SPIRITS" possessed q peculiar inter
est for me. II was both seasonAble and sensi-
BILE, written by one having very extensive
knowledge OF the subject. But must say It
does not wholly accord with my notions as 10
the durability OF dpsouania, nor does It define
as precisely a. micht be tho exact nature Of
that terrible disease. As far as my experience
has gone real, balituh drunkenness Is quite az
iucurable as fully developed insanity. With
gard to their chances Of recovery the confirmed
drunkard aal the mad Oman stand on the same
T. ane. All that can be said is. some drunkards
nave been cured, 81 have some lunltics
Aside from the assimilation Of alcohol with
the tissues Of the body and the consumption Of
the fatty covering OK the great inles;ines, re-
sulting in debility Of the stomach and a craving
for direct stimulation (the stomach being un-
ahle 10 derive the necessary power from common
food, asile from this, and genef Al relaxation
OF the muscul r and nervous systems, the suf-
fcrer has 10 coLtend with an evil, in the con-
tnually decreasing bower OF his Will. which is
only second 20 trat which aGlicts the lunatic,
Ia the total suUyersion u his reason. The will
Of an habitua drunkard Is IN utter subJectlon TO
his passion fOI DRINK, and IN ninety cases out Of
a hundred death only can relieve hun but Tor
those who have not got beyond the limits. that
Ia. for those who are not yet SOLITARY drinkers.
there Is salvation, but not in drugs, nor drug.
gers, nor hot baths. nor In anything. nor IN any
drihker reflect. Let him consider his loss IN
health, wealth, ana wisdom arising from his
habit, and let hun picture to himself the In
evitable end. Then he will resolve to stop; out
will he2 IL left TO himself he certainly viii but
his friends appea- and damn him. hey tell nim
To take drink, he takes II, aud Is lost The first
step and the last In the reformation OF the
dnuker 10 the refusal Of invitations from his
friends.
have experienced that imperative and un-
coutrollabie thirst drinking men talk about,
and can assure YOU II Is chiefly imaginary and
artilcial. OF course az long as there is any al
cohOl in the SYSTEM there Is craving for more
but when the system IL free from It, the craving
exists only IN the mind, and II the mind be not
strong enough TO resist that craving, all hope Is
gone. The victim Is then real lunatic, and
must take his chances OF d cure ss such. have
given way to tnat "imperative and uncontrolla-
BILE thirst" thousand times but when sue
ceeded in resisting u (as l did about year
since), was astonshed to find how often had
tricked myself into believing IN a humbug. But
IN one who Is addicted TO drink and tobacco and
tea and coffee try TO give them up altogether, he
need not he disappointed at his failure. II II he
hard To give up strong drink, II Is doubly hard
to give up strong drink and tobacco at ono md
the same time. Let the drnker resolve to re-
fuse invitations to drink, and stick to his resolu
tion, and his cure will follow as matter Of
course. II he doos not do so, hls doom Is sealed.
J. N.