The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-06-11
Private Retreats in Demand.

AASt SstNo LII .DSklitAtAVs
New York Mail and Express.
The alarming increase in nervous
and mental disorders, c]onsequent up
on the habitual use OF stimulants and
narcotics, has resulted in II CORE
spending increase OF private ''~rttreats"
within the past year. Though given
the less offensive titles OF retreats
and ''homes," the places are really
nothing more orless than mad-houses,
where patients are placed under medi-
cal surveillance. They flourish in the
rural districts, but pay best whennear
some metropolis. New Jersey has
many OF these homes, where the I'M
fortunate from New York, Penn
sylvania, Delaware and MARYLAND
lind refuge. Connecticut and
Rhode Island offer like accommodate
tions to New England patrons, while
Nebraska is the favored state for vic
TINS in the west. The south is as vet
comparatively unprovided in this par
tlcular, though it is a Noticeable fact
that this section OF the country sends
as many patients to the New Jersey
institutions as any other. Although
all classes are admitted to these ere
formatories," the majority OF them
are treated for chronic alcoholism.
Opium and morphine eaters comenext
on the list, while the ''hopelessly in
sane" receive no treatment at all. The
young man about town, who has in
dulged his appetite to excess, ''goes to
Europe for his health" Europe in
his case, however, is oftentimes a re-
treat where he remains withhis tongue
hanging out of his mouth in anxiety
for one drop OF whisky until it is time
Tor him to return, from his trip abroad.
This usually takes about six weeks.
"Ihere are as many ways OF treat
ing confirmed %drunkards and opium
eaters as there are physicians to treat
them,' a q physician to areporter.
eff a little Judgment is used they can
be cured and that too quitethorough.
ly. They imagine they must have
their favorite stimulant and if posi-
BILE they will get it. Some physicians
use the padded cell. The poor inc
briate is brought III suffering with the
delirium tremens. After large doses
OF bromide OF potassium have
been forced down the poor fellows
throat he is thrown into the padded
cell, where he groans and means
for days sometimes in despair. Often
times the poor wretch beats his head
against his cell walls in mis- frenzy.
Such treatment is positively cruel,
ana the patients many times are
seriously injured. The theory OF stop
a mans whisky and he won't get
drunk maybe very good as a theory,
but 1t does not stand a practical test.
10 suddenly stop anything to which
the system haslong been accustomed is
aserioust thing. Themost judicious and
humane plan is to gradually decrease
the amount OF the patients stimu-
liant until he can do without it alto
gether. This accomplished the treat
ment begins. The drunkard is not
cured when he finds he can exist com.
iortably without his glass. Neither is
he ready to be discharged. Unless his
Impoverished system is built up six
months after he leaves the institu-
ton he will be as bad as before
he entered the institution. He
requires tonics until his system
rallies from the shock caused by the
poison III the alcohol. Morphine pa
TENTS should be fed on the drug regu-
larly. The doses should be decreased
daily. This can bedone by SUBSTITUTE
ing some l]nnoCuous white substance
so us to keep up the size OF thedose in
appearance, until finally the patient
instead OF taking morphine is taking
regular doses OF some effective tonic
and he Is soon in Il condition to leave
the institution.
Women addicted to the opium
habit are the hardest class OF patients
to treat. They are naturally more
%dellcately organized than men and it
requires a much longer time to cure
them. Unlike the men, however, IL won.
an once cured seldom has a relapse"