The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-11-19
Expe. Icnee and Views of a Han who
Has Long Drank to Excess.
[From the New York sun.I

{ rom Inc new Ork sun
Having been a steady and excessive
drinker for eight years past, your edi.
torial in the Sun" of the 81 inst, en-.
titled sfThe diseased Passion fer Ardent
Spirits" possessed peculiar interest to
me. 1t was both seasonable and sensi-
bic, written by one having a very exten-
sire knowledge of the snbject But
must say it does not wholly accord with
my notions a. 20 the cnrabilIty of dip
romania. nor does il define as precisely
as might be the exact nature of that
terrible disease As far as nv exper-
ience has gone real, habitual drunken
ness is qnite as incurable as fully devtl-
oped insanity. With regard to their
chances of recovery the confirmed
drunkard and the madman stand on the
same plane All thst can be said is,
some drunkards have been cured, 90
have some lunatics
Aside from the assimilation of alco-
hol with the tissues Of the body end the
consumption of the fatty covering of
the great intestines, re~ulting in debils
~ of the stomach and = craving for di
rect stimulation (the stomach being un-
able TO derive the necessary power from
common fnod), aside from this, ard a
general relaxatio of the muscular and
nervous systems, the sufferer has to con-
e1r,1 a-sI tE. 4
creasing power of his will. which is on
ly second 10 that which af1icts the lun-
attic, the total subversion of his reason.
The will of an habitual drnnkard is in
utter suhjee,ion to his passion for drink,
and in ninety cases out of hundred
death only can relieve him. But for
those who have not got beyond the linn
its, that is, for those who are not yet
solitary drinkers. there il salvation, but
not in drugs, nor drnggers. nor hot
baths, nor in ANYTHING, nor in anybody,
hut in themselves. Let the moderate
drinker reflect. Let him consider his
loss in health, wealth, and wisdom aris-
ing from his habit, and let him picture
TO himself the inevitable end. Then
he will resolve to stop; but will he? If
left to himself he certainly will; but his
friends appear and damn him. They
tell him 10 take drink; he takes it, and
is lost. The first step and the last in
the reformation of the drinker is the
~T l. l.
have experienced that imperative
and uncomfortable thirst" drinking men
talk abont, and can assure vou it il
chiefly imaginary and artificial. Of
course as long as there is any alcohol in
the system, there is craving for more;
but when the system is free from il, the
craving exists only in the mind. and if
the mind he no: strong enough to resist
that craving, all hope is gone. The
victim is then real lnnatic, and must
take his chances as such. have given
way to that imperative AMI uncontrol-
liable thirst" thousand times; but when
| succeeded in resisting it las I did
find how often | bad fricked myself int,
believing in a humbug. Bnt if one who
is addicted to drink and tobacco and tea
and coffee try to give them mp altogeth-
er, he need not be disappointed at his
failure. If it be hard to give mp strong
drink. it is doubly hard to give up
strong drink and tobacco at the same
time. Let the drinker refuse invita-
tions to drink, and stick to his resolu-
tion, and his cure will follow as mat
ter of course. If he does not do so, his
doom is sealed. j. M.