The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-06-04
Private Retreats in Demand.
New York Mail and Express.

The alarming increase in nervous
and mental disorders, consequent up
on the habitual use OF stimulants and
narcotics, has resulted in a CORE.
spondnl yincrease fprivate retreats"
within the past year. Though given
the less offensive titles of retreats"
and 'homes," the places are really
nothing more or less than mad houses,
where patients are placed under medi.
col surveillance. They flourish in the
rural districts, but pay best when near
some metropolis. New Jersey has
many of these homes, where the un-
fortunate from New York, Penn.
sylvania, Delaware and Maryland
find refuge. Connecticut and
Rhode Island offer like accommoda-
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-
ticular, 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 Gre
formatories," the majority of them
are treated for chronic alcoholism.
Opium and morphine eaters come next
on the list. while tine "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 with his tongue
hanging out OF his mouth in anxiety
for one drop OF whisky until it is time
for him to return, from his trip abroad.
This usually takes about six weeks.
"There are ,.s many ways OF treat
ing confirmed drunkards and opium
eaters as there are physicians to treat
them, said a physician to reporter.
"If q little Judgment is used they can
be cured and that too quite thorough.
ly. They imagine they must have
their favorite stimulant and if posi-
bic they will get it. Some physicians
use the padded cell. The poor ine-
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 moans
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,
and the patients many times are
seriously injured. The theory of stop
II mans whisky and he won't get
drunk, maybe very good as u theory,
but it does not stand u practical test.
10 suddenly stop anything to which
the system has long been accustomed is
aserious thing. The most judiciols and
humane plan is to gradually decrease
the amount Of the patients stimu-
liant until he Gun do without it alto
gether This accomplished tho treat
ment begins. The drunkard is not
cured when he finds he can exist com.
fortably without his glass. Neither is
he ready to be discharged. Unless his
impoverished system is built up six
months after he leaves tho institu-
tion 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. of the alcohol. Morphine pa
tients should be fed on the drug regu-
lnrly. The doses should be decreased
daily. This can bedone by substitut-
ing some innocuous white substance
SO us to keep up the size of the dose in
appearance, until finally the patient
instead of taking morphine is taking
regular doses OF some effective tonic
and he is soon in u condition to leave
the institution.
"Women addicted to the opium
habit are the hardest class ofpatients
to treat. They are naturally more
delicately organized thun men and it
requires q much longer time to cure
them. Unlike the men, however, u WON.
an once cured seldom has relapse"