The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-11

/ America is fast developing q civilization OF
Its own. The country used to take pride in
this score Of years ago. 1t then entertained
n deep prejudice against furei gners foreign
languages, ideas and habits. This prejudice
went to tho extremity Of obiecting TO the use
Of the expression English language for
The tongue spoken here. Edgar A. Poe
thought that we had made sufficient improve
ments OH our mother tongue to entitle us to
rebaptize our language 'Appalaehian.' as he
desired IL called
But of late years. this kind Of patriotism
has not boon quito so rampant We don't
take rs much pride In Our odd and peculiar
habits as we were wont to do. Hundreds Of
Americans have even adopted foreign ideas
aud customs, and sought TO plant them in our
American soil. The discovery. therefore,
made by Dir. Hammond short time ago
will not create as much excitement nor
arouse as great u feeling of pride, rs
| IT would have done In those good old
days of the past, when the whole ooun-
| try hurrahed over every new American
discovery, were 1t only new way TO mix
drinks. Dir. Hammond has discovered d new
disease. the offspring OF American cvilisa-
| tion. the fruit Of American life. habits and
| customs, disease unknown In other eoun-
| tries wholly, thoroughly. essentially Amer
| lean. Here is something we ought to feel
| proud about.
Thousands OF nations have produced great
warriors and begotten great statesmen, but
what other nation--sayo perhaps Scotland
has begotten d national disease
The new disease the Doctor christens "cere-
h,tY,n In Ia Il
attacking principally tho brain. 1t springs
from the extraordinary abuse Of that organ
by Americans. Tho haste to get money,
| anxiety over business risks. business failures
and misfortune. excessive brain work, heavy
indebtedness extravagant living and host
Of similar American habits that keep the
brain and nerves constantly excited and
aroused are the origin and cause of the NAL
ady that is fast spreading over this country.
The whole country has been In state 81
mental intoSication since the war; 1rst the
intoxicatlon of extravaganza, then of bank
fuptcy and despair. Our Radical politicians
died of prematurely. one after the other,
completely worn out. The charge made
against them that their premature decay was
the result Of dissipation has been denied, and
1t was claimed. with apparent truth, that
their minds and bodies were completely worn
out and broken down by the fiery and exciting
politics Iii which they lived politics with
which they cursed the country for over de-
cade.
That business and trade were carried on
ia pretty mu h the same style 1t Is need
less to state All kinds OF trade took the form
OF gambling merchants ran recklessly into
debt, engaged in wildcat enterprises, lived
extravagantly and riotously on the proceeds
of q business far from legitimate
The result of this system has been a gen.
eral malady. Everybody has seen and no.
ticed 1t, although few have been able to give
1t q distinct name. to thoroughly diagnose as
DR.. Hammond does.
Such is the american disease which the
Doctor explains at length, giving It's symp-
toms, causes, effects and cure. The effects are
terrible, rs our insane asylum and suicide sta
tistics show: the cure is simple enough-rest
good food, open air exercise and possibly bro
mide Of potassium. Let us have peace and
rest; not only do the people but the country
itself needs it, for the very land seems to
have caught the infection, and to be suffering
from this American disease of overwork and
over excitement.