The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-10-02
A Plea for the Tnebriate.

JOKE Oy MS worthy IaIner-ln law
A Plea for the Tnebriate.
The destruction or temporary dc
thronement of mans reason present
no more melancholy subject for re
| Election nor a sadder sight to loo
upon than that which the hopeles
inebriate gives US, or he who ha
given himself up as hopeless
While the insane man is uncon
scious Of his condition, the inebri
ate is not so, and often indeed il
keenly alive to the reality of his de
plorable condition. Stung perhaps
with remorse on account of the
course he has taken, and harasseC
with fears of losing all self-control
or the consciousness of his menta
suffering again and again with the
death-dealing poison, which, like the
grip of an anaconda, is continually
lightning it's hold until it has caus,
ed the poor victim to perish.
Some leading minds in medical
science have regarded dipSonaania Oh
the thirst of drunkards a disease oil
body, and advocated the necessity
of treating it as such. Few seem to
realize the fact, and the poor slave
of the bottle whose mind and body
are suffering from chronic alcoho-
lism is treated more with contempt
by the majority of the strictly tenn
perate than anything else, He is,
in most instances, an outcast, con
sidered unworthy of the companion
ship of good people, and not looked
upon with that sympathy, nor pro
vided for with that care which the
man with a different disease is.
There are hospitals for the sick
suffering from almost every disease;
hospitals for special diseases, for
the manned, crippled and deformed;
asylums for the diseased in mind.
the deaf, the blind, etc. In fact,
provision has been made by philsn-
thropic civilization for the special
care and prolonged existence of al
most every kind of unfortunate be-
ing. But the drunkard, the poor
victim of dipsomania, a disease as
curable probably as many others, is
thrust aside as culpable nuisance,
and .dies-it may be called prema-
ture and ignominious death.
Some Of the new philosophy OF
the age questions whether there is
real charity or philanthropy in nur-
turing constitutional weakness and
helpless deformities, especially in
their care and maintenance at the
of the public, the so-called
charitable institutions. 1t main
tains that the sooner society elimi-
mates out of existence the better
for the progress of the race, the
more healthy and perfect will lie
each succeeding generation.
The rigid and seemingly heartless-
ness of a Lycurgus might be a good
thing for this physically degenera-
ting age, but it would hardly be in
accord with the intuitions and
Of more modern civilized |
nations. And yet this is practical
y the course which society allows
20 the drunkard. Push them into
,he gutter. Let them die there, or
'eturn to it as often as he chooses,
,r rather, is forced to do; for he has
ost his self-contrCl. But humanity |
lsks whether his life is more worth
ess than that constitutional diseas-
ID PERSONS who is doctored and
.ared for by the public expense and
10 prolonging his existence until he
transmits to posterity an inheri-
ance of his disease or,imbeoility.
If it is not, then why not have an
.sylum for the drunkard, such as
re usually considered and treated
s hopeless? Why not treat his
Iisease at the public expense if nee
ssary, and thus show towards him !
haritable feelings? Until I
'.''oH = law" :, Or, better still, the bib
zeal injunction of Temperance in
IL things" shall rule, should there
lot be at least one asylum in every
tate, or, If need be, in every county,
7here drunkards should be treated?
f not cured sufficiently to quit the
labit and make themselves useful
o society, they could be made to
-elp in keeping up such an institu-
ion.