The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-09-27

,j The State of Virginia has jnstbegun
to experiment with system of drink
selling from which she hopes to put
something handsome into her own
purse and keep much that is intoxicat-
ING out Of the stomachs of her inhabi-
tants. The system Is known as the
"bell punchn system and under 1t u
tax of two and half cents Is Imposed
ON each glass of ardent spirits.l The
consequence is that the prOprietors OF
"sample roomsn and kindred institu-
tions have raised the price of ordinary
drinks from ten to fifteen, cents, thus
| taking them out of the reach of q con-
siderable portion of the masses. The
friends Of temperance expect to see
material falling off in the consumption
of liquor, while Virginia expects all
annual revenue from this application
| Of the bell-punch Of about $75O, 900.
| In connection with the action OF
Virginia, it Is interesting to glance at
| the theories of the American Associa-
ton for the Cure OF Inebriates, whose
annual convention has just taken place.
| tt took the ground in regard to 'iPer-
sistent Alcoholism" Its name for
steady drinking--that inebriety was
essentially q disease and susceptible of
cure by treatment with medicines and
other remedies for mind and body.
| Among those in attendance at the con-
I vention was John Wilmott, Superin-
| tentient of the Inebriates Home at
i Fort Hamilton In this State, who, as IL
| result of his experience, concurred LIN
this opinion. DR.. N. s. Davis, of Chi
i caeo, another Of the delegates, attacked
1.-THE hereditary drunkenness theory.
He does not believe that any drunk
! ard can shift responsibility. from his
I own appetite to that Of some iniihedi-
ate ancestor, other doctors and many
| writers on intemperance to the contra
nv Notwithstanding. "No child" he
said in course Of the debate, twas ever
born drunk, as the mother could not
drink enough to make, 1t. so. Some
l persons are more readily affected by
atmospheric changes than others and
4 the same isstrue In regard TO alcohol"
i Perhaps the most interesting. Of the
papers read before the Convention was
that on Opium Inebriety," by Dr; L.
B. Matteson, Of BROOKLYN. He declar-
ed, that within the last two 9ofl three
4 DECADES; the consumption of opiou had
I Increased far In advance of its direct
4 fhArdoetitical MEDIA statement which
the testimony of all our prominent
nh vsicians confirms. There can be no
doubt that the opium habit is steadily
spreading IN THIS country, sdthatit Is
weIlthat the Association for the Cure
II of lInebriates has had its attention
, drawn to this dreadful form Of inebri-
etv. which has depths as awfpi as those
To- which the victims Of alcohol bink
EDr. M,ttehon spoke Of the.two ways o.
using this baleiul drug which are NOW
prevalent--one by chewing, smoking
n 81 dfifiking it, and the other by Infect
irjg It beneath hthe skin through thu
d;use ola hypodermic. syringe. Th'
\ Chicago Evening. Journal says that In
the tllscussi6n which followed the. pre-
4 seritatlotl of the paper the Association
Recommended great caution An the us
7 of opium even in prescriptions, las
! large proportion Of cases Of opium in
!. ebr1ety commenced IN that way.
Those who. u have - looked int
this matter will /. agree, we: be
lieves that there was much room 10
the advice thus given. We have II
! \ our mind as we wffte the case Of agen
tlorhan of this City who was terribl.
a wounded In q western mine by an ex
pf0kioh OF dynamite During IN
~ Treatment which followed, In wsCall
!. fbrnia hospital, opium WAS repeated,
), Injected ben cath the skin: Although
y the explosion left him terribly torn am
= fnnnrltxi. no declared, when he got :
III 80 = bout again, that the rn0st agonis
9 inc -Dbase Of the casualty was the toI
Q ment he underwent In the days OF hi
efI vale scence IN the hght Cor freedom
l.l'froa, opiun.si All other pain and al
9 auihho was - nothing to thar HAfwo
,; the battle. but 10 was "as BY hre. "-Ea