Litchfield enquirer., 1877-01-11
InobrIetY.

We reprint on our first page an inter- estine article from the "Quarterly Jour- nal of Inebriety," periodical recently started under the auspices of the Amer ican Association for the Cure of Inebri- ates. and published in Hartford. The article in question is by physician who has made special study of nervous dis eases, and belongs rather'to the province of medical than of temperance literature.
 Dr. Beard makes distinction at the outset between the vice drunkenness, and the disease inebriety. In most cases, pro. bably, inebriety IS the result-of vice car ried to such an excess as to disease the physical system with an uncomfortable desire for stimulants. Dr. Beard believes, and he has the support in this of the best Temperance opinion, that drunkenness as disease, is rarely cured by signing the pledge, or so-called moral measures of any kind" It IS no longer the mans mo- ral nature but his physical nature that ia diseased. One marked feature of this disease is what the physician terms the ''periodicity" of it's attacks:
 The phenomena of the nervous system. like those of the heavenly bodies, move in cycles; one can, in some cases, predict the coming on of an attack of neuralgia or inebriety with almost as much precision as the astronomer calculates an eclipse of the suu, or the transit of Venus.
 Dr. Beard makes also the shrewd distinc- tion in his statement, and one which it will be well for temperance people to con- slider. that while the vice drunkenness is on the decrease. the disease drunkenness is on the increase among us. In other words, owingtc habits of abstinence pe- culiar to the last half century. fewer peo- pie drink to excess than formerly, but of these much larger proportion become inebriates.
 The greater part of the article is taken up with an interesting resume of the evi- dence showing the increase of nervous disease in America. especially among those whose lives are devoted to brain work. The extraordinarily stimulating influences of our climate and of our modes of life are dwelt upon at length. The course oi reasoning pursued leads unavoidably to the conclusion that, as people. we must make up our minds to abstinence from the habitual use of Intoxicating drinks:
 As a means of prevention, abstinence from the habit of drinking is to be en forced. Such abstinence may not have been necessary for our fathers, but it i. rendered necessary for a large body o the American people on account of oul greater nervous susceptibility.
 fDr. Beard is sure of his facts, as VI see no reason to doubt that he is, they undermine at least two venerable excu ses for indulgence. It is an old -notior that the increase of inebriety is due ts adulteration of liquors. Dr. Beard no only accounts for tbis increase in anoth ST way, but ayers that Analysis proves il to be the alcohol, and not the adultera tions, that destroys the inebriate. Fur thermore. his facts greatly weaken If they donot wholly destroy what is call ed the scriptural argument for "mod crate indulgence" What might hay. been comparatively innocent practice ir the very different climate. and under tn. very different social conditions of Pa1es tlne. may be so dangerous as to be abso lutely sinful in the New England of oul day.
 Dr. Boards facts indicate that besides giving up habitual indulgence in. alcohol ic beverages. we need appropriate reform atoriss for those afflicted with the diseas,