The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-25
| THE HISTORY or DRUNKENNESS.



hhen the Euglish cot the Habit ~ Get
T tju< Drunk-The Gradual Progress.
EEsThe vice of drunkenness Ia said to have
\ nnn RI rare occurrence In England prior to
r. raiun Of Elizabeth. But when portion
4 her troops went over to the Netherlands TO
Stat William 81 Orange In defending the lib
tiles OF his country against Philip IL OF
H main. they there acquired convivial habits,
4 Rhirh IN their return, were speedily spread
Irer their own land Camden states, in bis
History OF Queen Elizabeth, that the En-
llsh, I'm thel long wars in the Netherlands.
rat learnt to drown themselves with Inn
Moderate drinking, and, by drinking others
|palth. to impair their own. or all the North
I'm nations they had been before this most
bmmended for their sobriety." The same as
triton had been made by Tom Nash. In his
I. Pierce penniess," which was written at the
hry time when lnebriety had begun TO de-
Efade and enslave the people. "Superfiuity
IN drink, says this writer, 'is sin that, ever
nee we have mixed ourselves with the Low
lpuntries, Is counted honorable: but, before
ne knew their lingering wars, was held LII
\ nat highest degree Of hatred that might be.
Then. If we had seen n man GO wallowlng IN
be streets, or lain sleeping under the board,
ehe should have epet at him, and warned all
+ kar friends out of his company"
III Disraeli advances the opinion, In his article
"a drinking Customs IN Europe In the
II jurjoeities Of Literature that ell the terms
II drinking which once aboundod In England
zNere OF Dutch. Danish or German origin.
bus the phrase "half seas over" he regards
y borrowed from the Dutch The term
s|9-ses, or oversee, was giving to O stupefy-
IN beer introduced into England from the
low Countries. and, by an easy transforms
on and expansion, ran finally into the ex-
1Fession half-seas over, or nearly drunk.
sxOuse and carouse came from the Danes :
5tlse being the name Of a large cup In which
ID health was drank, and cGrOuse the act OF
Einking healths by company.
HIT was favorite notion with writer's on
Tunkenness, in the time Of Elizabeth, that
han In the different stages OF intoxication ex
EMbted the vicious qualities Of different AMI
Aals; and In this notion Mr.. Disraeli fancies
nat the expression peculiar to tho English,
trunk aH beast" or "beastly drunk" had
Es origin. Among the writer's cited In illus
Enton Of his idea, a sketch Of dffarentc classes
III drunkards Ia quoted from Nash, which is
& sufficient interest to merit repeating THE
rat is dpe-drunk: and he leaps, and SINCE,
I'D holows, and danceth for tho heavens.
he second Is lyon-d,unk; and he filings the
DTS about the house, breaks the
flass windows with his dagger, and is apt to
Elarrel with any man that speaks to him.
he third is swine- drunk. heavy, lumpish,
I'D sleepy, and cries for little more drink
nd 9 few more clothes. The fourth is sheep
h rnk, wise In his own conceit when he can
Ut bring forth q right word. The fifth Is
Iaudlin-d,unk; when fellow will weep for
1 ndness In the midst Of his drink and kiss
tDu. The sixth is mdrtin-drunk; when
man Ia drunk, and drinks himself sober ere
81 stir. The seventh Is goat-drunk; when In
Es drunkenness he hath no mind but on
Ychery. The eighth Is for-d,tnk; when he Is
Hafty-drunk, as many OF the Dutchmen may
II. which will never bargain but when they
I 3 drunk. All these species. and more /
lave seen practiced In one company at one
ttina. when ] have been permitted 10 re-
] Ain sober amongst them only to note their
I veral humors."
4 AZ the time OF the Restoration, excuses Of
Ispry sort were Mt their height. "Duellng and
j King says Green, became the marks OF q
lie follies Of honest fellows who fought,
! smbled, swore, drank and ended a day OF
/ Dbauchery by a night In the gutter" Beer
] Gle was the beverage Of the people, being,
Macaulay states, mot only all that beer now
/ but all that wine, tea and ardent spirits
eat occasions, that foreign drink was placed
the board"
The introduction OF coffee In tho latter part
the seventeenth century had visible effect
1 diminishing the use OF Intoxicating drinks;
I'D inebriety, among the upper classes was,
tween the time OF Elizabeth and the Revo-
hon. ut was computed In 1888, remarks
Ii author, that no less than IL, 410,0 600 bar
is (of still beer or alel were brewed In Eng
IIndin single year, though the entire popu-
ion probably little exceeded 5O00,OO0.
In 1895, with somewhat heavier excise. It
nix 10 11,350,000 barrels; but even then
most third part OF the arabic land OF the
lgdom was devoted to barley The Eng
III manufacture OF spirits was greatly ex
nded by the prohibition In 1850 OF the Inn
out l724,' writes Lecky In his most graphic
story of drunkenness In England,
hat The passion for gin-drinking appears TO
we Infected the masses OF the population;
I'd II spread with the rapidity and violence
mn epidemic. Small as Is the place which |
sls fact occupies In English history. 1t was
obably, II we consider oil the consequences
At have flowed from 1t. the most moment
3 In that Of the eighteenth century -incom- |
rably more go than any event In the purely |
litlcal or military annals of the country |
,e fatal passion for drink was at once. and
aevocably planted In the nation. The aver
q Of British spirits distilled, which is said |
have been only 52I 900 gallons In 1854, and |
O0, 900 In iIl4 had risen In lI25 to 1901 900, |
Z q In 1875 to s5,394, 900 gallons. Physicians |
clared that in excessive gin drinking a new |
q , terrible 10, So, source Of mortality had been
1 were accustomed to hang out printed |
ards announcing that their customers could |
made drunk for penny, and dead drunk
i two pence, and should have straw for
thing: and cellars strewn with straw were
ID become insensible were dragged. and |
lere they remained till they had sufficiently |
covered to renew their orgies"
The government finally interposed to lessen
frightful prevalence Of the evil. In 1876
sasure TACT 3, Geo. H. c. 81 imposing an
ormous tax upon all salable liquors recited
the preamble that The drinking OF spirit
tas liquors. or strong waters. Is become very
nmon, especially among the people Of low
and inferior rank-the constant and excess
70 use whereof tends greatly to the destruc-
n OF their healths rendering them unfit for
ful labor and business, debauching their
orals and exciting them to perpetrate all
amer of vices" In consequence Of this tax
i consumption OF liquors fell for brief
nee; but in l7i2 the production, again in
asing. amounted to 100000 gallons. I'm
o." to return again TO the narrative Of
cky, "more than 1000 persons were con-
ted of selling spirituous liquors without a
snse, and the number Of private gin-shops
Thin the Bills OF Mortality was estimated
more than 1900. At the same time,
me and immortality Of every description
ne rapidly increasing. The London physi-
ms stated in 1850 that there were. In or about
Metropolis, no less than l40N cases OF Ill
Is, most Of them beyond the reach of medi-
o, directly attributable to gin
By active and efficient legislation the evil |
-. t,.s.t 10. Ex,