The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-10
ALCOHOL AND INSiNfrY.

discussion which followed the reading
Of on interesting paper 10y nr Burknn.
Coz, 'nmcut Commiss ionsr Of Lun1'y. before
The 'dico-p rhoo4Hnl Society of London.
ON Toe Rotation OF Alcoholic Drink t1 Ia.
IT, rnmarkaby illustrates the conflict 4
views held by eminent medical mon. nr
p,r-'y thoul.ht that drns had l.ttle todowtl
originating. insanity It hnpp,n'drrm h-t
year. in order to ily" the Information O. u.red
hy the Lunary Commits on"rs. thorc W,,r re-
turns Of inenn .ty to hc f.lod jon. and out 1fli1
rasos which camc un lri him there N.rr Mt
srvrn in which drink could h' put down us tho
ronl cause ~ insanity. ca on' Of thrs' raS =
huro WAS opicps, cunh.u % with the insanity.
and In four otncr cas- - thor Wn, am hnroiinry
faint Icthouslt fhatdtnl '.u. the cuu-r vt
insanity WIS u hobby which uad boon raticr
ovorrdon.
Dr. Tuko couldn't agrte WITH DR.. PR
sol, and quoted tir great French author ty,
DR. Morl. who mad stat 'd To HIM tnut tAo Ill
crease Of insanity in Fran g was .u direct proc
portion to the increase la tio u-D,f spirit al
moro especially OF h'~.ntln. Wh.t. ut nt-
~ cldrct il drunk there is htc u4lh.iy ur.
Wood agreed with Tukr AMI regarded Buak-
MILF theory as one of the most dangerous 10
hnd ever heard" Dr.. Boyd slid THAT when iu-
quirics were made 10y DR.. paIynplc N F..
legal custody Of drunktrds, ne Or Boyd won't
carefully oyer the statistics of iAc Somerset
Asylum. extending 10 .O1O cases and found tho
cases directly uirhutahr To drink to be- nInc-
tron per cent Dr.. Williams had formerly shared
DR.. Woods opinion ms 70 alcohol originating
insanity. but the result of recent experience
would make him very HIr .iul hrt'altor about
combating linus IN to the statement that drink
was an important agent ia the oril nal causa-
Oh of insanity.
DR.. Maudsloy. whose admirable work. Mind
and Body" is we'll Known IN this country. sud
tlat his own cNprrI-n ego leg Tim 90 bohryc tiut
either alcohol nor anything o'-r often ,.ui-ci
il.anuy without some hereditary pr"d.-ros.-
IA. If a mar had q perfectly sound nervous
stem. with no disposition to insanity. Lo
ought go on drinking to % guui old age. and do
,uicuy in his bed but if a man with u feeble
nervous system did 50. alcoholic excess would
.c likely in tho end to cause insanity. lie.
however, demurrcd to the proposition Of DR..
Bueknill. that the use of alcohol now and then,
pr perhaps habtutlly. might tend to prevent
insanity. lie who took al ohOl b. protect him.
II AGAINST depression from any pr $ mt calaui-
~ or anxiety. would no doubt got the better II
II Tor that time. hut what would he do In, next
timer Instead ot summonins the whul, .oncr-
l.ics II his mind by strong effort Of Will To- cn-
counter trouble. lac would again resort to
alcohol He would next. pcrh'p- nnd himself
sloeplcss at nisht. and would have recourse to
chloral night after night. till at last he might
20 mad or become % complete wreck Tho man
who took 10 al 'Ohol us u remedy for mental
trouble WIS "a man vast n the capital OFF his
life. and was sure to become bankrupt in tho
end. Or Miekhdm said tiat ho and Dr. C.0ls-
ton some years ago male a table OF the cat-,J
of nsan ty in all the clscs admitted into their
respective asylums. But tho stupid ty tney
had. To contend W tia. the reckless M srep-
resentulou- the determination not 10 answer
questions. defeated thrr attempt. H. had long
believed thu int'mprrun 'r wis not so large Il
cause 4 insanity as bari been supposed.
Ia reply pr bu 'krnll point % with emphasis
TO the fact that thr point oi ID argument was
that intnmperunrr, although hy far the moss
potent Of all removable causes of disras. w.ts
not So often "a vas IMAGINED an original 'Tlusc.
Tue statistics Of New ENGLAND. whore. hc sud-
th"r" Is less Dir n,in- than IN any other COINS
trN. snow that Eriri. r.lsrry. an poverty ara
lrillr IN pro IA ing lu-tn Is. W iput tn" hli II
~ onot - thought, 600. mat a phys lrian lilv-
lnS 70 deal WITH iu ending lis pi insanity
mig sometimes pr, vent Il Toy tue ludiclous al-
lnih.straton - alcohol.