The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-29
Drunkenness.

Ihe great NUMBER ana earnest tone OF
the letters we are receiving on the subject
OF drunkenness prove how deep is the in-
terest IN the question Of the prevention
and cure of this vice and disease. These
letters are not written 10y temperance en-
thusasts, moral reformers, total abstainers,
or men who lock on drinking as a sin
merely, but from persons who suffer
directly I'm their own health Of body and
mind or indirectly through the conduct of
those dear TO them. by reason OF the do
minion Of alcohol over the will aud appe-
tite They do not ask for condemnation
Of drunkenness-they know all about It's
dlrcful consequcnces-bu for remedies
from drunkenness. Ii j. an entirely pnc-
teal question TO them, and they do not
wish TO be put of with moral platitudes.
easy To utter, aud the truth of which they
freely acknowledge. Tell us how to con-
quer the habit of reliance on alcoholic
stimulants, 10 the question they ask us
with so much earnestness.
Now. il IS far harder to answer this qucs-
ton satisfactorily than to stignat re
the practice of drinking. Experience
shows that prohibitory laws against the
l. for each indiv idual to he fortified against
tho temptation TO indulgence. Laws eau
not take the place of individual will here,
though they may perhaps help TO strength
en- II; but chiefly they must do their part
by making the vice of drunkenness odlous
aud punishable, aud society must aid hv
treating with less leniency the laps from
sobriety which IT now tolerates among Its
most honored members. Ii should be
| practically enforced on every young man
that beastness in drinking ia II social
crime for which he must pay the penalty
| in social censure, as much as II he made
| any other indecent exhibition of vile
| habits; that II he wishes 10 hold the place
of n gentleman or II respected member OF
society, TO be received among reputable
people, or to obtain employment, he must
never be seen under the influence of Liquor.
The laws which punish the vender of the
drink are not success full. nor are they
sound in morals and logic. II is the user
who makes "a social nuisance OF himself,
who should be compelled 10 feel the PEN
atty OF his dcreiichon III his own person
and reputation.
This il what society can do To prevent the
formation OF the habit Of gross indulgence
III drinking Bat when once the habit Is
acquired, there IS no one who can cure IL
except the victim OF it himself, aud such
victims appeal to Us for the rem sdy. Now,
the great remedy is the will There is no
drug in the pharmacopWia that of itself
can cure drunkenness. though there nr,
drugs which can ntig ltc the effects OF
drunkenness, help to restore tone 81 the
stem iftera debLuch. and Il enRthen the
shattered nerves. A correspondent of THE
SIN has given such prescriptions, and they
are good. But they must be regarded
altogether as "A means of recovering from
the physical damage of the habit of drink
ing, ana enabling the drnuklrd to sustain
himself temporarily without the aid ol
alcoholic stimulants; and 70 tar they are q
necessary part of the cure in many cases
The man may be said 10 be on the high
road TO becoming drunkard who, ~
othorwise ordinarily good health, feels The
need Of the support of -iimulants to keep
the physical machine in running order
1t he regularly experiences sense OF
"gonencss 80 IN the morning, nervous
prostralion and lnssitude which l. not
overcome untll he has had a cocktail OF
two before breakfast. he is an iuolpirnl
drnukard, if he Is not one already, ont and
out. lie has got so tar that he drinks, not
for the pleasure OF the beverage, but be
cause II is II necessity tn hun. Tnen In,
serpent has him IN IT. fold4, and he * gone
unless he at once aud pcrcmptouly refuse
to drink altogether.
The banc of our young men and Oul
business men OF all ages Is these morning
tppius. A man VINO hlbIuldlly drink, II
the morning u sure to - TO bed tull ol
Liquor al nght. Beginning the day OF
sunulants, he cannot 90 through II Wlthou
keeping up the acuOn by continued !, On
forccmrni-. There are thousands of huh
~ resp, ctahle mon in New York who az,
under the iuiluouco OF liquor the twenty
four hours through and f,om one year
end 10 another. The utter avoidancc o
eV Iythiug ~ the way of alcoholic drink
Throughout the day aud before the heavy
mcai-tAcu, II taken at an, to be tak.I
with The foods the uXitle rule for al
Young men 10 lay down for themselV Is
Aud WHEN they ind that either by reason
OF an inherited moIbidIty OF appetite o
! by peculiar temptation 10 drinking they