Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-10-07
INEBRIETY IN AMERICA.

INEBRIErY IN AMERICA.
\ Disease ...Cassss Of. the Nerveussss. Q
Observation-Disclosures Applied 70 Die.
ewse...A Problem that IL solving Itself.
Before the American association for
the cure OF inebriates, which met IN
Philadelphia, DIR. George NJ. Beard OF
New York read paper on "The Causes
OF the Increase Of lnebriety In Ameri-
Co." which is given in abstract below:
The habit OF drinking to intoxication
was defined a. partly vice and partly q
disease. The inebriate Is one who
drinks to excess against his will, and in
spite Of resolut ons TO the contrary, and
when there are no external temptations
to do 30. Inebriety resembles other
nervous diseases in its hereditary char
acter, and in it's periodicity. 1t runs in
families, and in many cases the attacks
come Oh like attacks OF neuralgia, at
automatically regular intervals. Dur
ing these intervals the inebriate is per-
fectly self contr0lled, and may not be
tempted by tho presence OF stimulants.
The inebriate desires to recover as much
as the neuralgia sufferer. The common
ly accepted cause Of the increase OF in
ebriety in America is the increase Of in
temperance; but this is great error.
For fifty years the better classes have
been growing more and more temperate.
There never was a time in the history OF
civilization when there was 80 little ex.
cessive drinking in proportion to the
population as now.
Tho fundamental proposition OF the
speaker was that inebriety was increas-
ing, because the higher classes-the
brain working classes-were becoming
more sensitive and nervous. We can
not bear alcohol as our fathers could.
This functorial nervous disease and ner-
vous sensitiveness on which inebriety
depends has been on the increase for
many years in all the great centers of
civilization, but especially in America.
vestigation. a. BY comparing sthe
higher and lower classes of the present
day. The majority of the cases of
drunkenness (Which is a vice and may
be cured) are among the lower orders
the abjectly poor and ignorant. The ma
jority of the cases of inebriety are among
those men and women who are more or
less cultivated. In both classes, how
ever, the vice may lead to the disease.
1t is found by observation that not only
inebriety, but all allied nervous states,
are incomparably less frequent among
the literary, professional and business
classes than among those who live by
manual labor. Hay fever, for example,
is unknown in the tenement house popu-
lation of New York.
(2.) By comparison OF the present
time with a quarter or half century ago.
There is pretty general agreement
among good observers that our fathers
did not suffer rs we do from variety of
nervous symptoms. We are more sus-
ceptible to drugs, to tea and coffee and
tobacco, as we'll as to alcohol when I'M
adulterated. g. Bya comparison of
the present time with the middle ages
and the few centuries preceding the
nineteenth century. The medieval cpl
denies of Mysteries and st. Vitus dance
were psychical not physical, the result
of superstitious and unframed minds
acting on strong bodies and not of nerv-
GUS exhaustion. That form of trouble
yet survives in the o-called "servant
girl hysteria." Insanity as we'll as in
ebriety has certainly increased since that
time, making allowance for deficient OBJ
servation of those ages and the more ex
tended philanthropy of the present. They
have increased during the past fifteen
years, and out of proportion to the in
crease of population. a. By compar
ing the nervous status of woman with
that in past time. The child bearing
and child rearing capacity has dimin-
ished. Female inebriety, though not so
abundant as reports would have us be-
lieve, is yet not infrequent both in
England and America. Inebriety and
all functional nervous maladies and
symptoms are more frequent in the |
northern part of the United States than
in Europe. This is explained partly
by the degrees of our climate and vio-
lent alterations of heat and cold, partly
by our free institutions, and partly by
the pressing necessities of pioneer life.
1t is true that brain workers live
longer than muscle workers, and that
has increased with the progress
of civilization, but for variety of
nervousness is an aid and friend
to longevity. While inebriety may
shorten lie, YET nervousness, on Wn1cn
depends, and of which it is
the expression, may protect the system
against acute and fatal disease. Inebri-
ates are to be kept away from alcohol,
which is the exciting factor, by confine-
ment in an asylum. This may need to
be supplemented by positive tonic treat
ment. Not an inconsiderable proportion
Of cases are permanently benefited by
this system, which originated in America
and is now introduced into England.
By successive eliminations thoroughly
acclimated race may be developed. This
process appears to be already going on.
If this view be sound, then the problem
Of inebriety and of allied nervous
states is being slowly solved for us by
forces in comparison with which all our
and institutions are but as
The chips and the foam on the surface of
The ocean tide.