The Indianapolis journal., 1888-05-25

which the habitual drunkark could be cured
was by complete and forced abstentlon from all
intoxicants; and with that object became an
inmate of house licensed for the reception.
control, care and curative treatment of habituai
drunkards A gradual "toning down. is fruitless,
as and many others can testify. You cannon.
as De Quincy points out, stop drinking aiconoi'
step by step. as you can opium. drop oy crop.
The decision that is final should be initial The
only cure is an absolute cessation from drink
ing accompanied, 1t 10 important to add. oy an
earnest desire to be cured. The desire to be
cured" is an essential condition, and where 1t
does not exist must be created, or all efforts
will prove futile.
/ have before me letter from cured dipso-
maniac He returned to . life peculiarly one OF
temptation, for his business takes him all over
the continent. and his life is really life OF no.
tells. He writes to me from Monte Carlo:
''I am pleased to learn that you are stanch.
and sincerely trust you may always continue
So The difficulty 10 in the first few refusals;
afterward all other refusals are easier, and ao-
stinencs becomes your natural habit. Az Tor
myself, have remained steadfast through all
temptation. The carte des wins no longer DOS
sesses any charms for me, and champagne may
DO as brut as IL likes. it does not attract me-
This is from gentleman forty years OF age,
who has been drunksrd for nearly twenty
years His trutbfulness 10 unimpeachable; he
was Eve months ir retreat, and he has now
been many years liv:Dg IN continental hotels
How long abstennon 10 necessary TO effect .
cure Is 0lneront IN dtGerent lnulviouais, anu ue-
pends, also, upon the nature OF the case. Dur
the first month OF my abstention from intoxi-
cants had frequent longingA often felt that
q morning petit verre, or brandy and soda, or
q dry champagne in glass rlnsed with AnRos-
tura bitters, would have put new life In me.
while glass of absinthe-gommee as an sppe-
tizer or . bottle of bitter beer, or glass OF
wine after dinner. or spirits at night as q COM
panion to . cigar, were not thought OF without
regret But now have no such feelings In
other persons this change has not been brought
about until after the expiration Of longer
period. Some may perhaps be cured in six
months, others IN twelve; others require the
persistence Of two. three or four years. The
question for competent authorities
to decide, with q full knowledge Of the
facts before them The great point 10 to take
care that the period OF abstinence was not too
short "If the power applied In the first instant
is inconsistent or merely occasional. and IL the
periods of indulgence are admitted to break the
career of the learner there 10 little hope Of at
tanning the consummation desired The enemy
is only bafied. not dispersed. years may be
wanted to arrive at this point a. O.. curel, but
sooner or later the plastic element OF our nature
will succeed not however, without the two
main conditions Of an adequate initiative and "a
unbroken persistence
The foregoing experiences establish, to my
mind, two propositions: ta) that dipsomania is q
disease OF tho mind, due to physical causes, the
victims OF which are incapable OF MANAGING
themselves or their affairs; and tb) that total
abstinence from alcoholic drinks for a prolonged
period 10 essential IN order that o cure may be-
effscted