The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-11
70 ryEBRTETY A DISEiSE?
,,,.,,,,,on Of Facts md Thcories-The
cause. and Cure Of Drunk cnncs..

,,rl.nncs9, in some persons 10 lunUOnal
E.,,an arising from arrangement OF the ncr-
g.. systcm. Is 10y no means new one. though
,soniy OF late years that ii has been very gon-
,..uy.,ccptcd by those who have made the sub
s,,ip,onnperanrc a subject Of scientific nvcs-
,.,oh,n, Centuries ago incbricty was recognized
,"nof.an laws. and aftcrwnrd in Spain and Ger
,'any as nn affection requiring special laws and
s.ocoeemcnt, and 80 long ago as 1909 our own
,,an,r,man Dr benjamin Rush. in his " Mcdi
49, 1u1uircs." not only declared that intcm-
,',an,, WIS disease. hut that hospitals for its
,,m-.,e treatment should be established in all
.urrrneipal cities.
rTh- theory. however has always been stoutly
xr,o-ed by class who insist that calling inc
,,i,t, . disease is framing an apology Tor sin
,rIflrrrima though this cutlery has been the
i,ud,. on the part 81 those who from their
,rat,rnl knowledge Of tho various effects
nj spirituous liquors upon the human system
ver, least qualified to form an intelligent ludg-
mont upon the question. u il not 60 be sup
posed that any of the opponents of the theory
Would hesitate TO admit that the headache which
tfen follows dohauch Is Il functional disorder
fasulting from incbriation, or that the decisions
III the victim Of dolirium trcmcns afford an in
lanrn where. NJ the result Of ntcmporancc. the
reason Of the person afflicted has lost the power
u control his acts. But they refuse. ON high
moral grounds. to admit that "a man may have
Bis nervous system so impaired that he is abso-
luioly unable to resist his cravings for intoN-
icatng drink. though he may be reasonable
unl entirely sclf-controlled, when sober. in all
bher respects.
MI, very probable that IN imperfect knowl-
(sc " the theory that drunkenness is q disease
has afforded great comfort to many persons who.
Elttt..i T., la uap ~ on
henvlr TO satisfy their conscicnccs 10y the plea
hat what is in reality a willing Indulgence in a
Regarding vice Is the result Of "A physical mala-
b. for which they are not responsible. But
his Is only an additional reason why the SUBJ
let should be fully discussed; for whom the
truth is known. it will be found that such plea
l. entirely faliacious in tho preliminary stages
bf the disease. while the person affected still
fatain- tho power Of self-con'r0l. and that an
kc,eptance Of the inchrioty theory, when il
l. properly understood. is cal ulai"l 90 impress
tlon the mind Of thu Incorporate man. more
POWERFULLY than anything else could the neecs-
t,y for reformation before reformation becomes
Impossible 10 him without cNtrancous help.
tnl. perhaps. physical restraint For it is not
taimed by those who hold That drunhenne ss
may be a disease. that intoXication in one who
las hot lost the power Of self-control is any the
less vicious "a habit than it is regarded by those
Cho roJect the assumption that inebricty
ryor can DO anything else than vice.
b., II is asserted by many Of the
most distinguished medical mon who have
made the subject study. that there are very
frequently TO be found cases where men who
honestly desire 10 practise abstinence from
liquor. owing to II functional arrangement Of
th"ir systems are borne on To- drink 10y an ire
Bi,ilhle impulse. stronger than their will. ~ in
Pane persons are impeled 10y unrcasonins i'm
pulses 10 eNtravagant acts for which no one
1 lbs them morally responsible. Such persons
~ 'alled dirsomanars =. and whctAcrtheir NAL
lly j, tho result Of lOng-continued excuses. or
q an inherited constitutional inllrmty. or OF
my other cause. they are the ones whom 1t is
usually found the most difficult ~ euro OF the
liquor habit.
There are certain forms ofinebrictv which I'M
houht"dly indicate disease. OF those. Or. Geo
~ Beard. In an address delivered before thu
American Association for the Cure of Inebriatc.
la-i September. says:
There arc two prominent features ~ inehrciy
tiat especially ally il 10 the nourose--it- red
i'ary character. and lis rcriodritv II j. a
malady that may b. Inherited il dos tenls from
Father and mother e. daughter ana son. and
llke other maladics 1t Is, when hereditary. all
The harder 10 combat. In conformity t. TIL
laws Of Inheritance, it may take Tie place oi
Ithcr disorders and may In turn lead a. them.
fmuing the many one-sidcd statements ON this
point, incbricty, II must be conceded, j. oiten-
! mes the door thai opens to various forms Of
T.r periodicityof inehricty Is fullyas marked
O. thni oi neuralgia. Do We not all know oi
lHr-ons who, a regular periods. every month
ar .lk weeks. or perhaps even less frequently.
flle' from attacks Of inehrieiy. and who,
uurns all the intervals are entirely sober and
sane What is more significant IT.. that during
These intervals they may not hr even tempted
D. the presence OF alcohol on the other hand,
d. az . fhtsN i'm
I'ilrd 10y force against which their own viii
I a- ile hand Of an infant against tho rush II
hhsGlt. - ~ after alcohol, and they VIII iud IL
y lhN an Many who are subject To- tlics" ut-
T. h. clearly r,eognize their true nature: they
!fw"t and ptepare Tor Tia m, Just as Tor an at
Y! 81 'i-,ic or tir-dOuourcuN. The phenomena
o. iar nrNou. system. like those of the hcay-
'nf bodies move in cycles one can, in some
Ease. predict tho coming on If an attack II
l. lraigia or lnebricty with almost a- much pre-
t-ln a. the astronomer calculates an eclipse
q th' sun ur the transit OF Venus.
But whether regarded as a disease. or simply
nsayl go. all Will agree that the habit II drunk
tlno-s j. one most iin 'ut 10 cure. and that in
H. II T. upon it. victims and upon society It is
tAen 81 pernicious Of all the cvilhahts towhich
mankind II subject. Hence all honest Efforts 10
tfiii, ate 1t become OF interest to the public. OF
t"urrr, prevention is better than cure and
fNry udicous measure calculated to prevent
u spread NJ int'mporancc is deserving Of gem
'i.''7 r. 'ghlINh hui III Is the lurpO-" oil THIS
article only - lis Hiss the means for the cure Of
tho-" IN whom lnohriety has become a confirmed
iabt These ar Of two great classes first. the
'i'i)usy inclined who indulge in the excessive
Us y. intoxicating drinks whenever they can
E'i them simply Tor the eradication OF their
'eIrayed appeties ;and. secondly. persons who
shying acquired the hnbit would gladly rid
themselves Of II, hut fail to do SO because their
ordinations are stronger than their good rcso-
lutons. Among both classes many are t. Do
found VINO seem tobe Incapable OF solf-rcstraint
;nd 1t is especially for the benefit Of such per.
sons that nebrlato asylums have been insti,
tai"d and maintained. That some Of those in
tttuiions have effected great good must be adj
IAllted by every candid observer.
Many persons have erroneous ideas in regar(
l. inebrlate asylums, surprising them 10 be in
fNuiions whore 10y a course of medication tn,
patent is deprived Of all desire for siimulant,
AMI his appetite for strong drink destroyed
r'slrless of his own will. This is not SO. On
IL contrary the best authorities tell Us that tho
hpp"i'i for alcohol once established, whether
q h' ilopthic as Is sometimes the case, q
illn'ei ly the habits Of the past lfc can never
v removed by human skill. 1t may be weak
'hrl ny long period Of abstinence, but it will