Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-15

Varieties Of Drunkards.
To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR.
1t is a well-known fact Of familiar knowledge
that each individual has his or her peculiar con-
stitution, and that the same poison does not act
alike upon all persons but Is varied in its effect
by the manner of use, propensity and personal
disposition of the individual. In virtue of this
fact. all drinkers of alcoholic liquors may be
divided into three classes, viz: the moderate,
periodic, and incessant drinker.
THE M0DERATE DRINKER.
This drinker is of the class designated BY the
Bible as wine bibbers. and is usually great de-
lender of the moderate use of alcoholic liquors.
He takes the position that liquor only kills those
who do not know how to drink 1t. He is rarely
drunk or sober, and consumes in the enjoyments
Of "good-fellowship" more liquor during the
week than is either warranted by health or per-
mltted by temperance. He declares that he
takes it for his stomach's sake; that it relieves
his dyspepsia and gives him an appetite. 1t GER
tanly gives him an appetite for liquor, for he
cannot always maintain his system of moderate
drinking, and ultimately grows into the habits
OF the ordinary drunkard, and fills his career.
THE PERIODIC DRINKER.
This individual is one who has his periods OF
drunkenness monthly, yearly or not so often;
tinues until he is absolutely forced to quit
drinking from a physical inability to drink
longer. His stomach. in the course of a week,
becomes violently infamed and refuses to re-
tain the liquor after it has been swallowed.
Over and again he tries to swallow his drink,
but over and again his stomach throws it back
into his mouth before he takes the glass from
his lips. This condition of his stomach causes
his drunkenness to terminate. and days and
weeks elape before he is able to regain his
ordinary health. After he RECEIVERS from his
excess he will again abstain for weeks and
months, and. Just at the time his friends have
hope of his entire reformation. he becomes care
less of his duties, listless, uneasy and low
spirited. A desire to visit drinking places fixes
itself upon his mind and is ever-present and
never-ceasing, and unless he possesses an ex-
traOrdinary degree of self-cOntrOl he soon
yields to the craving Of his appetite, and again
begins to drink, and repeats from time to time,
his periodic drunkenness until his nature sue
cumbs to the physical effects Of alcohol, and he
either dies in one of his sprees or becomes in
sane. Sometimes death ensues in the short
time of six weeks from the beginning of one Of
his periodic spells of drunkenness.
THE INCESsANT DRINKER.
Ofall drinkers. perhaps the incessant is to be
pitied most His propensity to drink alcoholic
liquors Is hereditary; and of all drinkers. he is
the most incOrrigbe and incurable. The mod
regard for themselves and for their welfare; but
the incessant drinker will disregard health defy
impeachment, and sacrifice every comfort to
appease his insatiate appetite for alcoholic slim
ulants. The blessing of health, the pride of
reputation, the claims of affection and the
misery of his family are naught to his over
towering desire to drink. Drink to him. is
food, wealth, clothing and comfort, and he has
no distress that it cannot sOOthe. Others may
a fnaip of n
has none, provided he can get drink Drink, and
only drink Is his balm; and there is no barrier that
he will not overcome to procure it. When he OBJ
tains it he has no farther care. Before his
soothed vision all the perplexing irregularities
and distinctions of life vanish, and his obliga-
tiOns to heaven and to earth disappear in the
calm oblivion Of his drink-bOund senses He
goes to bed drunk, and after disturbed sleep,
arises in the morning. mOrOse and captiOus.
However kind and attentive those around him
may be in their conduct towards him, they can
neither please nor satisfy him. He is weak and
tremulOus, and incapable of the proper exercise
OF either mind or body. Food is offered him.
but he has no appetite to eat it, and has no de-
sire save that for drink, and when he gets it
some of his bad sensations pass off, and he is
what he calls comfortable; but soon this sub
sides, and his craving for drink returns with in
creased force; and he takes one drink
after another in rapid succession I'M
I'll again drunk, and the operations
are brought under the stupefying influence of
alcohol. This he repeats day after day as long
as he can get liquor to drink, or has muscular
power enough left to get his hand to his mouth.
He has imperfect intervals Of partial soberness,
and during the time Of his getting somewhat
SOBER, and that OF getting drunk again. is apt
to be dangerous in his conduct towards those
who attempt to restrain his further drunken
ness, and will try to kill those who attempt his
| restraint. 1t is sometimes in these transient
periods Of sOberness that he becomes so nm
happy and disguised with himself that he COM
mltS suicide, and adopts the mode Of killing
himself which is most conveniently presented
to him at the time of his impulse of self-destruc-
tlon Ii perchance he escapes the crime of
homicide or the sin of suicide. he soon closes his
career By running his health. breaking his con-
stltutlOn. and putting the vital organs of his
body In such diseased condition that it is i'm
possible for them to continue the functions of
| life. and ere the index of time marks halt the
measure of his allotted days. he sinks amid the
wreck OF a ruined existence into hastily made
grave to receive in eternity the wages of sin.
WHERE FOUND.
The inceSsant drinker is almost ALWAYS found
among young men. and the propensity to drink
is usually inherited from parent or grand-parent.
| When this class Of drunkards begin to drink
| they become totally incapable of self-control
They bear an expression of depravity, visit the
| lowest haunts Of vice and sin, and will beg, lie.
steal or go to any extreme, and adopt any de-
vice that cunning and sensuality may suggest to
| obtain alcoholic stimulants, and when drunk are
as irresponsible and as uncomfortable as man
iacs. Moral suasiOn exhausts it's power in vain
| to restrain Them and nothing less than absolute
confinement in place from which they cannot
escape bears any hope Of stopping or curing
| them: The Bible says: "And they shall say unto
the elders Of the city this, our son, is stubborn
and rebelliOus; he will not obey our voice; he is
| a gAaton and druakdrd, and ell the men of his
city shall stone him with stones that he die: SO
shalt thou put evil away from among YOU"
j. &. JOHNSON, NJ. D.,
| 922 New York avenue.
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