Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-02-21
Insanity aud Alcohol.

The question of insanity, its causes and
prevention, is occupying much attention at
the present time At recent meeting of
the National Association for the Protection
of the Insane and the Prevention of Insan.
ity, in Philadelphia, some very interesting
papers were presented, showing the relations
between alcohol and insanity. One of the
most studied of them was by DIR. A. Baer
of Berlin, a physician of high authority
throughout Europe, upon the treatment Of
insanity His conclusions are thus sum-
marized " 1t cannot be doubted that in all
civilized countries insanity increases in a
| manner which is out of proportion to the in
crease of population. OF all the tributaries
| to this startling fact, there is none so last
| ing in its effects, so harmful to the physi.
| cal as well as the moral life, as the abuse Of
intoxicating liquors. Intemperauce is an
inexhaustble source of the development
and increase of insanity. 1t demands an
undivided attention, not only on account of
its existing relation, but particularly be-
| cause intemperance, among all the factors
which aid in the increase of insanity, can
best be diminished and its influences reck
oned. The relation between intemperance
and insanity is so definite and clear that it
is unnecessary to adducs proofs. Lunier
has shown that in France, with the increase
of alcohol consumption, insanity has also in
creased. In Italy similar result has been
reached by investigation. In Prussia it was
found that in sections where the largest
number of drinking saloons existed, e.,
where the consumption OF alcohol was the
greatest, the number of insane was also the
or. atsst Without doubt it is to alcohol
| that we must look for and will find the
| nf hn Il lnvp 1npf n
spread of mental diseases. 1t is well known
that alcohol acts as a disturbing element
upon the nerve centers, even if it has only
once been used to excess. In consequence
of the acute disturbance of circulation and
nutrition an acute intoxication takes place
which may range from slight excitation to
a complete loss of consciousness. After
habitua abuse of alcohol, functional dis
turbances of the brain aud spinal cord be.
come constant and disappear the less as the
central organs degenerative processes are
more and more developed, processes which
lead to congestions and hemorrhagic effu.
sions in the meninges and in the brain it.
self. These degenerations of the nervous
system give rise to progressive decay OF
all intelligent and also more especially OF
the ethical functions, decay which pre-
sents the phenomena Of feeble-mindednes'
complicated with large number OF ether
disturbances, and gradually ends in com
plete decay. The number of these mental
dsturbanc which are caused by alcohol
intoxication is a very considerable one
From twenty to twenty-five per cent OF all
mental diseases stand in direct or indirect
relation to the cruel consequences of intern
perance An investigation among the pa
iients in the insane department of the Der
lin Charity Hospital, in 1881, showed that
among COZ patients who had entered as
epileptics, $50, or over twenty-four per cent
had been addicted to drink-133 before and
seventeen after the disease had shown IT.
self Further, that of l 572 patients with
delirium tremens, 243, or over fifteen pei
cent were epileptic, and that in 22l intern
perance was present before the outbreak Of
the epilepsy. Finally, that among $40 pa
tients who entered the department in six
and one-half years, 393, or eighteen pei
cent were inebriate epll-ptics. Among l2e
epileptics whom | had occasion to note
twentyone per cent were drunkards ano
twenty per cent we're off-prings of intern
perate parents The baneful effect which
is produced indirectly by the intemperanct
of parents upon the mental constitution Of
their progeny is surely just as great and dis
astrous as the list of injuries which intern
perance deals directly to the mental life Of
man. On account of the inheritance of {
depraved and pathological constitution, the
children of incorporate parents frequently
81 fer from an abnormal physical organic
ton. As in the progeny of insane, epilep
tics, suicides and criminals, so also among
the children Of drunkards do we see case
of congenital idiocy and imbecility, and in
ebriety, of physical and somatic degen
eracy; also Of degraded morality, of va
grancy and crime.
DR.. Il. ID. Crothers of Connecticut, il
summing his experience in a paper oil
"The Prevention Of Insanity" said :" First
inebriety is the largest factor in the causa
tion of insanity, the study of which will
point out the means TO lessen insanity ant
many of the conditions which lead up to it
St cond, inebriety is physical disease, which
can be cured and prevented by the applica
ton of physical means to the case, and Il
the causes along the line of its national his
tory third, the present theories and treat
ment of inebrie;y encourage the develop
ment of the disorder, and indirectly increas
insanity by intensifying all the condition
of disease, and making recovery more diff
cult fourth, the rational treatment of inc
briefly should be to isolate the patient il
special hospitals, where every means can b.
gathered to build up and restore the entir
organism fifth, in such hospitals a stud,
of all the conditions which favor the growtl
of inebriety or insanity can be made, as wei
as the treatment and means of prevention
which could not otherwise be known sixth
the practical character and feasibility o
such institutions are demonstrated in ever,
advance of science in many ways, and from
actual experience in the face OF the creates
obstacles and most discouraging circum
stances finally, although Utopia is not ye
here, there is along this line of inquir
abundant evidence to show that the stud
of inebriety and its rational treatment vii
reveal the means for lessening insanit