Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-11-17
The Passion for Ardent Spirits.

and with the Nursery, for SSH.
The Passion for Ardent Spirits.
A daily morning paper in New York re-
Gently published as editorial, communi- |
cation from one of the ablest physicians in |
the country, on the diseased passion for ar
dent spirits. The writer maintained that
drunkenness was a disease requiring msdi-
cal treatment. lie also asserted that the
habit Of drinking was, in most cases the re
suit Of disease. There is large class OF
person. in the country, absorbed in the ac-
tive business Of life, charged with the care
and support Of families, in the daily, yigor-
Gus use Of their powers, who in consequence,
not of inebriety and drunkenness, but Of reg
ular and moderate drinking, are in need Of
the most judicious and immediate treatment,
They are aware that the use Of stimulants
has become a habit. They will not admit
to others perchance not TO themselves that
they are in the incipient stages of a disease
that in multitudes of cases results disas
trously and fatally. Not one man in thou
sand will be truthful on this subject as to
his habit Of the use Of ardent spirits, even
when his word can be depended on in all
other respects. Even when his habit is no
longer a secret to other persons, he will con-
tinue to deny the fact. lie is, therefore, I'M
willing TO make known his condition 10 his
nearest friends. lie is indisposed to consult
hiu ri. 81 T., 81 tptg oh N xvff Ia.
draw himself from business and 20 to hos
pital for treatment lie is conscious of the
constantly increasing demand for stimulus,
thinks that it helps rather than hurts him,
knows that it allays for while the craving
Of his stomach and makes him more bril-
liant or more efficient, temporarily, and so he
goes on, without controlling himself, or seek
ing the aid and counsel Of some friendly ad-
wiser, until reformation or permanent cure
is deemed hopeless.
The writer Of the article to which we al
lude says that the majority of medical mon
are incredulous as to the cure Of confirmed in
ebriates, and think that the sooner drunk
ard drinks himself to death, the better it will
be for him, for his family and for society.
But while he looks with great doubtfulness
10 the cure of the confirmed inebriate, his
opinion is, that il the disease has not gone
too far before treatment is resorted to, there
is good reason TO expect its cure, If the treat
ment be faithful and judicious The treat
ment must be thorough, and requires the co
operation of the patient. No medical skill
is Of any use unless the sufferer guards him
self from further exposure, denies himself
the use of that which feeds and aggravates
the disease, and resolutey keeps himself ont
of the way of temptation. The symptoms
of the disease near that stage of its course
when it passes over into hopeless inebriety,
before the catastrophe of hopeless drunken
ness ensues, are a weakened state of the
physical powers on rising in the morning a
sinking sensation of the whole system vague
alarms frightful imaginations, deranged di-
gestion, cool extremities, tendency to pro
fuse perspiration, all of which symptoms can
be allayed only by alcoholic stmulants
When these symptoms occur, the afflicted
person may be certified that his disease is
passing over into the confirmed state, and that
his chances of cure are greatly diminished
The condition of the brain is also dis
eased. II is slightly congested. The It's
sues, that fine lace network which encoses
the brain, and is permeated and traced
throughout with minute arteries are filed
almost TO bursting with blood. This tissue
becomes permanently weakened and dis.
eased. The effect may not be death by APP
oplexy; but it is always a premature decay
OF the mental power; a moody, caprcious
and extravagant temper, fretfuness, anger
irritability toward friends, and general
mental and moral bearing that makes man
an object of pity or of aversion. Unless
this type of the disease is reached by med
cal treatment, in which the physician ha,
the hearty cooperation of the patient, il
soon passes over into state of moral and
mental responsibility in which he 10 iabl,
to commit any act of terror, or any offens'
against the person or rights of others.
The time for treatment, if the case is t
be treated successfully, is before the diseas,
has reached this extreme stage. The mar
who drinks liquor once only in six month";
and falls PROSTATE before it for that tim
only, is in, by no means so great danger a
the one who never is drunk, but has com
to rise in the morning with the symptom
which can only be allayed by the use of al
cohol. The large majority of the men wht
use ardent spirits in this way daily-but no
excessively, they think-cannot be convinced
that the only safe way for them to follow il
to totally abstain from all wines and stron.
liquors. They are conscious of the desir,
for stimulus, and begin to feel the increas
ing need of it, would like to moderate tn,
quantity, diminish the desire, and prevent
their thirst from becoming uncomfortable
They do not like the nervous depression
with which they awake every morning
They do not enjoy the sense of uneasines
which holds them. They give the necessar,
stimulus to the nervous system, with hop,
that soon it will no longer be necessary. A
this stage of the disease it is durable. Stronl
coffee and tea may be resorted to at the tim,
of depression and uneasiness or sulphste Of
iron and peppermint; or extract of ginger
But these tonics soon lose their beneficial
force, aud are not to be long continued
The use Of tobacco must then be avoided
Simple and nutritious diet must be takeI
only at regular intervals. All articles o
food that provoke thirst must be banishe,