West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-11-16
~, f5e Medical Bulletin. ]

New York.
,,..,n, file Medical Bulletin.l
The evils resulting from intern
france in our country can hardly
he oyer-estimated; insanity, cpl
Iansv delirium tremens, and chron-
II alcoholism are among the more
ra1uent, while the laws Of heredi-
tary transmission are inexorablv
nreparing the way for a generation
IF drunkards. NJ, Lunies estimates
that 80 per cent. of all the idiots
and imbeciles to be found in the
LARGE cities of Europe have had
parents who were notorious drunk
ards. Out Of three hundred and
fifty insane patients admitted dur
inc two years at Charenton, in Eu-
robe, insanity was attributed to
drink in one hundred and two
instances. From my examinations
ofthe statistics of all the insane
asvlums, both here and in Europe,
think it is not too much to say
that fully one-fourth Of all tn e adj
missions are either due proximately
or remotely to alcohol. The
amount Of pauperism, CRIME, and
disease produced in this way every
wear is something fearful to contem-
plate. In New York it is estimated
that 80 13 per cent. Of all deaths
are due directly or indirectly to
the abuse Of alcoholic stimulants, of
which it is supposed that S600,000,-
900 worth are annually sold in this
country. If you were to pass thro'
our hospitals for the cure of the
sick, and some one were to name
all the forms of disease there, and
were to say, as they might most
honestly, that these names, very
different in kind and seeming to
denote very different maladies-
govt, paralysis, albumnuria, apo
plexy, delirium tremens, enfeebled
heart, eczema, epilepsy, consump-
ton Gin one phase Of that disease
at leasD, liver disease or cirrhosis,
dropsy, to say nothing Of other NAL
aides under dispute as to their ORR
gin-these names do honestly and
truly indicate various forms Of di-
sease originating in one agency, to
which those afflicted have been di-
rectly or indirectly subjected !;
would you not hesitate almost in
fear-fear which familiarity itself
would not conquer utterl y-as
you ask yourselves, is it really
true?
The habit of drinking occasional
ly is not merely moral lupsus but
1t is rather the commencement OF a
malady, which if unchecked will
oyerWhelm them who indulge in it
In ruin, and compared with which
cholera and yellow fever are harm
less, and l would urge upon you
the duty Of prevention and avoid
ance with as much earnestness as [
would carry out sanitary measures
against the spread of smallpox, or
any infectious disease. The person
affected with inebriety is at its
mercy most completely. He is lost
to selI-control, and he yields to the
influence of the all-absorbing appe-
tlte without even shadow of resis-
lance. The desire for INDULGENCE is
the ruling passion to crafty 1t
every other consideration is sacrih-
ced; the subject Of it is insane for
drink; he feols nothing but the in
satlate desire he thinks of nothing
but the means of gratifying it; his
mental powers are overwhelmed by
the one all-absorbing demand; he
Is left no liberty to refuse, but is
lmpelled onward to complete his
self-destructive acts. What mani
acal excitement takes a stronger
hold upon the mental operations
than does the mania for drink ?
What suicidal impulse is more
powerful or more to the purpose
than are the self-destructive acts OF
the inebriate? What delusion,
however strong, what insane i'm
pulse. however urgent, equals that
Which impels one to forget or rather
disregard every consideration OF LIE
and to sacrifice all for the gratltca-
tion Of this one all-absorbing pas
sion?