The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-06-23
CONVINCING FACTS.

V
CONVINCING FACTS.
Over One-Hslf the Cases OF Insanity and
Three-Fourths Of Those of Crime and
Psuperlsm in the Country Caused by
Intemperance.
General Stewart L. Woodford has re-
Gently stated that in seven years ex-
perience as criminal prosecutor in the
Federal courts at New York, he 'sel-
dom" found a case of crime, accom-
panied by violence, which was not con-
ceived, or committed, or aggravated
through the use of rum. His expert
ence is that of all similar officials, not
only in our own land but in every 9th
er. Mr.. Axel Gustafson. the author of
"The Foundation of DEATH" was re-
Gently in Sweden, and was given
private audience with the King
and Queen. During the interview the
King said that almost all the crime and
abject misery in his realm were caused
by drink. So strong are the convic-
lions of the King on this subject that
the Swedish Government has declared
its inattcntion to give the order OF
Good Templars state subsidy to en-
able them to prosecute the fight against
alcohol all over the Kingdom, as an
economic measure, that the cost of
crime and pauperism may be reduced.
We have just received some valuable
statistics of the growth of pauperism
IN the French capital, which are doub-
ly interesting because they furnish an
answer to an argument much used in
these latter days that the use of light
wines as beverage diminishes intem-
perance and its resultant evils, pauper-
ism and crime. Now the use Of wines
is universal among all classes of peo-
pie in Paris. Water is seldom drank;
a glass of light wine is taken instead.
Wine has, in fact, become the beverage
of the people. They drink hardly any
tea, and not much coffee. Wine is
cheaper, and even the poorest work.
man drinks it. If wine-drinking were
a cure for intemperance and the pow
erty and crime which follow it. GER
tainly Paris should show it; yet the Of
fetal statistics, lately published show
that the pauperism has doubled in the
past twenty-five years.
In 1861. when the suburbs were in
corporated with Paris proper, the num-
Der of families requiring relief was &c.
713, comprising 90,277 PERSONS The
majority of them had been punished
either as vagabonds, for thieving, or
other crimes. Sixteen years later, in
1877, when the republic had taken the
place of the empire, the number OF
pauper families had increased to &c.
666. The growth of pauperism was
even more marked during the follow
ing three years, the statistics showing
that in 1880 no fewer than 46,815
families, comprising 1926, 735 members,
were depending upon relief. At the
beginning of the present year 1000
persons were known to be in want OF
assistance. From 1861 to 1880, cOnse-
quently, the number of paupers had
been doubled.
A report by DR.. Mathews, of Rhode
Island, given in the Journal Of Hered-
ity, medical periodical. in referring
to alcoholism and insanity, cites these
facts: In one Swedish insane asylum
it was found that fifty per cent. of the
patients had been addicted to the use
Of rum. But the author gives a clear
instance of the fact that insanity fol.
lows as resultant of the rum habit
In the statement that after the removal
of the heavy tax on alcoholic drinks in
Norway, the percentage of increase
during eleven years was: In mania,
fOrty-one per cent. melancholia, sixty.
nine per cent; dementia, twenty-five
cent, and idiocy, $50 per cent. OF the
last, sixty per cent. were the children
of drunken fathers and mothers. thus
showing that the sins of the fathers
are visited upon the children. To thi.
may be added the statement Of the
superintendent of the insane hospita
ct Vienna, one of the largest in thu
world. that from fifty to sixty per cent
Of the cases of insanity was due t.
rum. So great percentage in coun
try where 1t Is claimed alcoholic drinks
do no harm is we'll worth noticing.
American alienists have not turned
their attention particularly to the run
habit as cause of insanity. We, how
ever, quote from the last annual repor
of the Northwestern Ohio Asylum fol-
the Insane, located in this city wha
the superintendent, DR.. j. A. Wright
has to say on the topic. DR.. Wrigh
has a growing reputation as an origin
oil Investigator into matters pertaining
to his specialty-insanity and alliet
forms Of mental arrangement. HI
says, referring to table given in thu
report, showing the immediate caus,
of insanity in each patient under hi
care:
Table K shows that the most importan
factor in the production Of insanity is intern
The recorded cases in which this cause !
adduced represent by no means the quota b
which 1t is justly enti1ed, but merely tn
comparatively feE occasions in which It hap
pens to be the direct cause Of mental de
thronsment. If the instances in when tn,
abuse of sprituous liquors. by producn
domestic iufelicity, business reverses, bodil
disease and other proxlrnate causes of In
herited woes belonging to the list Of nervou
and mental diseases, such rs dipsomanis
neuralgia, chorea, epilepsy. imbecility an
idiocy-were properly classified In etiologics
, would BE- attributed h to this Source" ~
Public attention has frequently bee
called to the enormous increase in lat
years of the number of insane, and Va
! rious reasons have been assigned, bu
we believe the true reason to be, tn
! use of rum. And the alarming ratio q
,, increase must 60 on, laying each yes
an additional burden On the state,