The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-01-16
DRUNKENNESS AMONG We aEN.
Ttle Growing lie nT liquor ia Rev YUr3a-
what the Doc 0rs = y.
New York Tribune


"Tue disastrous effects upon women
of the drinking custom o. fashicnabls
soc eJy,' said q UrJmin nj physical
recently, "are nos Aal kuoau or aprro
clalea, Whether iutamperslca among
educated women Is increasing or not. /
is sufficiently common 10 become alarm
ing
a Tribune reporter recently visited q
number ot prominent physicians, whose
acquaintance and uraclice would give
ta-m az opportunity to form correct
Judgments, 20 obtain their views ii
segard TO the reported increase or intern
peTance among women of the better
classes. The majority confined the
opinion OF this increase OF habits OF
drinking
a professional gentleman with large
society acquaintance said; Il had my
attention Called to this subject several
years ago. | look upon it a. very i'm.
pJrtanJ one. The psrnicious habit is
very common. At fashionable resorts
during the past summer, ! have fire.
quently noticed young ladies and matrOns
ylsibly under the Influence of alcoholic
drinks. 1t Is common habit for lsdiez
10 drink wine at fashionable parties. In
a,hiOnable restaurants one may ebserve
the same use of wine by lad es, especially
arJer attending theAters ami concerts. /
believe that beer drinking Is also gene
rally INDUCED IN, especially at home
where ladies take It for weak c8nsgitu.
lions or TO round out their forms. In
deed, | think beer drinking is the great
national evil among all Glasses. In a
country that spends c0n- deraby over
$500 0JU,OOO a year for beer, and where
the consumption or beer has increased
go per cent. IN ten years, it must Datur-
ally nave Its effect upon women as well
Is men This effect Il much greater and
more rapid On women owing TO the
peculiar sensi .lveIGss of their nature
Their sppetites grow 50 rapidly that beer
soon iaus to satisfy them. If women
generally were given to drinking as
men are, ana liquor was placed as easily
within their reach, there would be
much larger proportion OF d-unkards
amOns n ia than there is among men.
A sad case came under my personal OBJ
s5rvatiOn in this city, showing the rapid
women. Two young men Whe were &C
CustUmtd 10 the Use o. wine on their
fathers table, married sisters Il a good
family and be- an housekeeping together.
The young wives were unaccusI0Lued to
wine. They were urged by their indis.
Greet husbands, who provided wine at
table, 10 take Il a. tonic, and sherry
ana O-uer sumulauts soon became daily
necessity. AS their moral sci control
became weakened their indu g-nCes grew
| more frequent, and soon II y Is no uu-
common circumstance for either Of the
TWO husbands to clne home and find nis
vile tupid y drunk. The women con-
-ent5d u enter private lutDrate asylum
in distant state, bat the treatment did
not cure them. One might be said to
have died in de rum tIemenB while CIV
ing birth to child"
A old phy-ician- when questioned on
this subiec., replied: Yes, there Is a
great deal OF this fashionable drinking
much more than Is generally believed ;
nut while il is d great evil, am inclined
70 think il Is not growing one. The
sentiment OF the better class Of the public,
| think, IS setting against in emperance
ln all forms. as its evils effects become
better known. [ have professionally
treated many women for ills tHat were
the direc5 results Of intemPeranc9
DR.. Stephen Smith, Of No. 50 East
For.v>st cond Il eft, VINO has given much
thought 10 this subject, said: Thought
ful medica men frequently xpress much
apprehension ~ the prevailing tendency
OF women, aud especially youpg women.
to indulge in the u.e OF achOhC liquors.
The caue- Of Intemp,rale habits AMONG
the better class are tWo.Oid. Tue first is
social wine drinking customs, These
exert al especially strong influence upon
young women. At the period @, bud
dug womanhood the nervous system is
peculiarly impres-ible, and anything
which produces state OF nervous exal-
iaiiOn viii, !: repeated, readily become Z
fixed want. NJ one except physician
eau IUl,y appreciate the 81 CeptIbillty Of
young ladies st the age when they are
conventiOnaliy introduced to fashionable
society. There is scarcely anything 50
Liable TO impress the nervous system at
this time as mild but exhilar ating wines.
Confirmed habits Of drunkenness MAJ
not now be formed, but permanent i'm
pressions are made which will never be
lost, and which too often revive at some
later period and make sad havoc of per-
sonal character and domestic happiness.
A second exciting cause is the prescrips
tion of alcOhOlicstimulants by physicians
Rslerence is not made to the scientific
uses OF alcohol in medicine, but to the
reckless habit of recommending slim
ulants for all the trifliBg ailments of
women. The physician, worried with
the opportunities of his patients, recon-
mends wine or beer, brandy or whisky,
prescription easily made and generously
complied with.
The effects of intemperance, he added,
upon the constitution of women are OF
the most diverse character. Intemper-
ance tends to shorten life more IN women
than in man. Competent authority
gives the average duration of lie of the
incorporate, after the habit is formed, as
fellows:
Among mechanics, working and boring
years
among traders. desl-rs and merchants years
Among professional men and gentlemen lis years
Among wonen.........'.' --.'-'''-.'is Years
The ills of women accustomed to the
habitual use of alcoholic beverages are
innumerable. The effects of intemper-