New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-11-10
Inebriety.

SoAAo oOOO011Co VI 1l6u1Ctll0. l. 1le ltSU Ol
vice-presidents and councillors is an
imposing one, embracing many Of the
names OF most eminent men IN the
profession in Great Britain, and
among its foreign correspondents are
great physicians of the continents of
Europe and America. The headquar-
ters OF the society are in London, where
general meetings are periodically held,
the proceedings Of which are pub.
lished in the form OF a pamphlet,
whose price, however, is too nigh
to allow Of its becoming pop
ular. At one of it's most recent meet
ings DIR. Crothers, of Hartford, Conn.,,
read a paper on the "Sanitary Rela-
tions OF 1nebriety," which was after
wards discussed. The facts and con-
clnsions, though not new, are worthy
reconsideration in view of the fact
that they were gathered and accepted
by men OF science, who were not using
them for the purpose Of convincing
people OF the necessity Of prohibition
'or the desirability of legal restriction
of the traffic in liquor, but who were
merely considering them from the
point OF view OF physicians looking
upon drunkenness as a. disease which
becomes a dangerous epidemic at
times. The malignant character OF
disease was proved by the evidence
which showed that of seven hundred
thousand deaths, which occurred in
the United States in 1880, from sixty
thousand to one hundred thousand
were directly due to inebriety.
Over one-third of call the deaths
occurring in cities and large towns
are caused by drunkenness. "The NOR
tally from cholera, yellow fever, ma
laria and other epidemic diseases sinks
into insignifcance," said one physi.
clan, when compared with the NOR
tallty from inebriety." cover fifty per
cent. OF all the sickness results directly
or indirectly from inebriety; statistics
more than confirm this" was another
declaration at this meeting OF physi-
clans. 1t was stated, too. that the
large category of nervous diseases, such
as palsy, paralysis, epilepsy and APP
oplexy, and various nervous COM
plications, with< other forms ofdisease,
are mostly due, ito inebriety. Fevers
and contagious diseases, especially,
but diseases ,of:all kinds produce by
FAR the greatest mortality among in
ebrlates, whose conserving and resist
ing powers are Slapped by the liquor
habit. "Inhospitals the worst forms of
fevers and the most intractable forms
OF disease, requiring the longest time
and the greatest care, are among ine-
briates." These are all strong state
ments, but they are made by physi-
clans before physicians in a discussion
of drunkenness considered as a mere
disease. Inebriety as q cause of crime
was also considered. ,Itwas stated in
the meeting that it was estimated
that ninety-eight' per cent. of all crime
i'll Canada resulted from the use of liq-
uor. In New York city the percentage
was eighty and in other places from
fifty per cent. upwards. 1.-THE crime
which flows from inebriety exceeds
that from all other causes was the
general conclusion come to from the
evidence. Perhaps the darkest feat
ure of the diseaseis set forth in the
statement made at this meeting of
physicians: "The children of inebri-
ates inherit q; physical and moral ma
ture, diseased and defective, bound
down by conditions of birth like an
iron fate, homwhich their whole life
is a struggle to escape. The laws OF
inheritance which perpetuate the sins
into the third and fourth generation
are literally fulfllediin the lnebriate.
Were it not for the inexorable law of
selection whdoh brings the physically
weak to an early grave, and hurries
the morally diseased to the centres of
death, our race would be burdened
with FOSTERING tide Of corruption
propelling 1T backward into the night
of barbarisna. Ithas been said an in
ebriate transmits poison enough to
require ten generations to eliminate
1t" These statements are such as
our readers are perfectly familiar
with, and they ARE known to be
true, but eonaing las they do
from the lips of physicians they may
be expected to carry confirmation to
skeptical minds. This society, as a
society, does mot advocate moral
suasion or prohibition. Some of its
members are prohibitionist, others
are opposed to prohibition or re-
striction, or event to the work. of tenn
perance societies. The society itself
is only interested in the cure OF
inebriety, that is in the recovery of
those who have ;hecome drunkards,
by physical means. 1t recognizes the
hideousness and 5horror OF the evil
fully. Most peopleswill think that an
ounce of prevention is worth many
pounds Of cure ;anas that if the use of
Intoxicating Liquor lis the cause of the
most of the disease and most Of the
misery in this world, land If it tends
by inheritance to perpetuate itself as
itdoes, then nothingtbut total prohi-
bitten is adequate.-sWltness.
Why Boys Should Not BE Snub-
bed.
Fromthe Christian Aaawoente.
DON'T snub q boy because he.wears
shabby clothes. when Edison, t,
'nventor of the telephone first entc
sastonglle wore a pair OF yellow
the depth of wintey
Don't ..anub boy hecaus 4
is M ain and ,1nvvrot ora1Sinr/