The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-02
BREAKING ALCOHOLICS GRIP
THE SUCCESSFUL TREdTM ENT or
INEBRIdTE PdTILNTS.

Home IN which the tnre OF women ne well
as NIrn IL Attempted wives Taken Tiers
by their nusbnDds-A Peep Inside.
On the Fort Hamilton road. some dis
tance beyond bay Ridge, IA tho Fort Hamilton
Inebrates' Home, owned by private cornor.-
ton, and superintcndcd by the Rev. John wiz
let's, a Baptist clergyman. The building stands
upon elevated ground, the rear toward tho road,
from which It is some distance removed. and
tho front commanding a magnificent View Of
the narrows and the bay. The institution has
accommodation for about 10 inmates, thirty OF
forty OF whom usually non paying patients.
and toe others paying for their board, LODGING,
and treatment sums ranging from s. to S2S
week. All who go to the Home are, In some
way or other, committed; the non-paying To-
mates by the police courts as habitua drunk
ards, and the others by themselves, or in the case
OF minors. by their legal parents or guardians
None can leave OF their own will. "When .
man comes here" said Mr.. wllietts, "surerina
from acute alcoholism and In danger OF 1 ilins
into dellrum tremcns, put him In here" and
he threw open heavy door, with n small panel
opening in II, and showed fair sized room
c9mioItA6ly but by no means lavshly Furnish.
ed. The window was protected by heavy wire
grating, admitting abund anco VI air and light,
but efectually providing against the pitient
breaking the glass, or throwing hims'lf out 10
his delirium. he door was padded with felt,
and when II was closed the chamber was per-
iectly sound proof Men on the verge Of do
very sensitive to noise. when I get them in
bed SIT and talk with them til they II aslesoj
then close tue door and watch the patiens
through tue panel"
DELIRruN PATIENTS.
There nre several cells constructed for the
treatment OF delirum tramens patients. In
these there Is little furniture beyond the bed.
and the windows are doubly guarded otherwiss
thev are not like the rooms already described
Cascs ~ death are said to be exceedingly rare In
the Institution, only occurring when the pa
tents are brought In so enfeeoled as to leave ne
For tho most pIrt the paving patients are
wealthy men, including lawyers, doctors, mer-
CHANTS, and artists. Many OF them have, oy
/ their own consent, heen committed BY their
wives and more by themselves. There are. be-
sides, great number Of young unmarried men.
! clerks, students, and rich mems sons, who nave
voluntarily gone to the lneoridtes Home. Mar
| rei men very ordinarily are nursed by theu
wives, who remain with them in tho Home,
which provides quito ns good accomri odation a.
| first class hotel. But there are other women
! in the Institution b.sdes those who 90 there
voluntarily 70 attend upon their husbands.
Man, OF the best and most luxurOusly furnished
a. artments are occupied by ladies', whose
! friends ON BROOKLYN Heights or Murray Hill sup
| pose them to be travelling for the benz at "
their health. or visiting relations In the country.
I" don't at oil Ike female PATIENTS said Mr.,
| Wiilctts; one Of them causes more trouble aud
! anxiety than a dozen men. Even those WAC 90
| cupy the best rooms in the front Of the house,
| aud pay large piices for their a0commod itiony
seem u have little no sense Of prOpriety.
| have to watch constantly to prevent them from
/ ST nding at the win1ows, waving their hindker-
| cniefs. and flirting with the male inmates walk
Ing below. Occasionally h We been Obliged 70
/ punish them Tor doing THIS by removing them 70
the d ok ~ tho house and placing them among
the female non-paying patients hut my innu-
! cnce among them ID very slight. aud seldom
have AN opportunity TO eject cure, Their nus
| bands hrtng them here In carriages, ana cominh
them for six months or so, they giving their con-
sent freely, because they know tnere would be
no use IN refusing IL. But In a lew days their
husbands como to see them, and they tell them
they Hre perfectly cured. After two or three
visits the gentlemen usually yield and take tUem
home. not unfrequently TO bring taem back
again IN four or I'VE months
WOMEN PATIENTS.
On Christmas Day there was only one paying
female patient I'm the Home. About twenty
can he accommodated. There were between
ted by the courts, and pay nothing. These lat
ter not unconmoniy remain long enough to ~
ed, II a cure can DO effected, and behave
themselves with comnendable propriety, know
ing that any disorderly conduct must inst III
them IN the pententiary. There re cells Tor
women suffering from delirium tremens, a dts
ease which, Mr.. Willeits says renders them In
nnteiy more difficult to deal with than men.
Some Of paving women patients are the victims
OF opium in various forms, but most of tnem
are addicted merely TO the use OF into1icAllhs
liquors. 4 hey pa, from go TO $25 a week.
on Christmas BAY there were ABOUT seventy
eight inmates In the home. First, tho noh-pay
ing patients, who were at supper III a Ions hait
then the half-pay pAtients, who are charged
about s., and VINO were also partat!2g II sup
per OF better quali.N III smar room, III
vtded by a thin Partition, from tho men com
milted 10y the police courts. There were TIVE
other halls IN which suppers were suread for a,
many grades Of tull pay patients. " we PROPOSE
to give every mau," said Mr. Nilletts, "exa ~
what he pays for. We allow the non-payinl
patients PROBABLY better food than they wouls
get in the penitentiary there are really prlson
ers, but We do not crowd them vita meat"
MALE PATIENTS.
Occasionally the male patients Of all CLASSES
are gathered into the building, and the ladio'
are then allowed 20 walk IN the grounds, bu
usually they do not care much TO take advan
taRe OF this privilege. No one can 20 out with
out permission from the Supefinte ndent, anc
though an impatient inmate occasionally eludsl
the vigilance OF ne keepers, and escapes anc
goes on tour Of inspection around the lq lol
saloons ne usually goes back next day. sObel
and penitent, recOmmits himself, and suDmiu
10 such discipline as Mr. Wiiletts sees Dc To SUD
ject him 20.
} Very often patients craving for sumulant
Il 80 intense that he cannot be d. prved - then
At once, out must Ue "wehned" gradually. MIR
Milletts then cJucucts a mix punch, gives II u
the sufferer. and leaves the other patients u
suppose that tue drdu ht is pure milk.
Probably about twO-thirds OF all wnO are com
. mitted to the in.titu ion are permanently cureS
OF intemperance; al least tue reports received
show tnAt oil oil dis -hal ged ia The year that pro
portion are "doinx we'll" Mr., Wilietts has hv'
daughters, and 10 Is no bad indication Of AN
faith III the efficacy Of his own treatment thu
tour Of them are wives Of former pat ents, anc
II Is not IN probable mat the Ifth WI choose
husband from tn same class at very distant