Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-03-23
Il. WHITMORE.
Publisher end Proprietor
Fashionable

Il. WHITMORE.
Publisher snd Proprietor
D1iakiBg Among Fashionable
women,
New York SUM-
The cororer's inquest in the
Bravo case in England brought out
many startling facts concerning the
manner of life of a family which
moved in a high circle of English
society and enjoyed all the adyan-
tages and luxuries of wealth. The
revelation made of the moral char
acter of both Mr.. and Mrs. Bravo
is of a sort to awaken thought, if
not to excite great surprise in any
one who knows something of the
tone of modern fashionable society.
But this is only one of the facts
disclosed, skeleton snatched from
the closet of the Bravo household,
to which we shall now refer. 1t is
that which concerns the drinking
habits of Mrs. Bravo. 1t seems
that she was an inordinate consumer
of intoxicating liquors, and was not
a stranger to actual drukenness.
On the night of her husbands
poisoning she was so far gone under
the effects Of q bottle of sherry, to
say nothing of drinks between
drinks, that she was unable to
comprehend the exact situation
when it was explained to her. Nor
was this an exceptional experience
with her. She was in the habit Of
getting into that condition, and
the fact was known to all her ser
wants. Yet she was a lady who
frequented the country houses OF
the English nobility, and previous
to the poisoning of her husband,
spite of her intrigue with DR.. Gully
and her drinking propensities, was
welcomed in high society, and bore
character which had not been
reproached.
The fact regarding the drunken
ness of Mrs. Bravo suggests the in.
quiry whether there was not some
truth in the declaration of a Lon.
don newspaper, a few years ago,
that fashionable women were toe
much given to tipping. The eyi-
dence, indeed, accumulates that the
statements then made were founded
in fact. The tendency of fashiona-
bic women to get into the habit ot
using stimulants is something Of
which every physician in large
practice is aware, and the deplora
/ BILE results which come from it,
hidden from the knowledge Of
their acquaintances, but necessarily
known to their doctors, are of a sort
to warn all women against seeking
to gain the artificial excitement tC
be got out of alcoholic stimulants
1t is undoubtedly true that many
of our women who indulge in the
dissipations of fashionable society
IRE given to drinking champagne
land even snirituous liQuors. The
practice also is growing, and its
baleful results are apparent to any
one who is well acquainted with
the lovely creatures who adorn oul
gay salons of fashion. Not long
ago a young girl, who had devel
Oped a charming capacity for masiC
and a happy social tact, became SC
hopeless a victim of dipsomanis
that she was taken to an asylum
where her appetite could be re.
strained, a complete and shattered
wreck at the opening of woman
hood. This is only one case out O.
many. The habit starts with tht
experience Of the stimulating effects
of liquor after the exhaustion o.
fashionable dissipation or when j
is desired to start Q gayety tina
does not come spontaneously. The
stimulant soon and easily becomes
q necessity, and before she herSel
is aware of it the woman is a topper
Within the last twenty years thu
freedom with which women drinl
wines and other liquors has becoml
greater and greater. There ar
some of them in fashionable lif
who really seem to have stronge
heads than men, and to be able t
carry their wine, brandy and liquor
with steady gait and a tongue il
no wise thickened; but the NOR
delicate, nervous organization Of
woman causes the effects of tn
strain to be more serious than il