The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-03-22
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
DRUNK ENNESS.
Evil Effects of Alcoholic StimuIants on
the Mental Faculties.

the SympaJnetlC ln1uence winch COM
munity living in an alcoholic atmos-
phere exerts upon all who are within
its boundaries.
1t is doubtful whether the surround
ings of an ordinary drunken home con-
duce very much to fasten Incorporate
habits upon its younger members.
Apart from the influence of heredity,
the probabilities are that the tendency
may be the very opposite. The horrors
experienced by all, the complaints and
admonitions of the sober members of
such home, together with the daily
example of decency and morality seen
elsewhere in all directions, lead to So
briefly rather than drunkenness.
But there are regions of country of
considerable extent where strong drink
is habitually taken by the people in
general, where, as rule, the wealthy,
the Intelligent the influential, are al
most continually under the influence of
alcohol. In such an atmosphere there
is little, if any, home objection; while
the conduct and language of the public
at large teach nothing Of the advantages
and beauties of sobriety. In such COM
munities the exaggerations of the alco-
holic disposition are in daily operation.
The unduly sensitive inebriate "honor"
is ever on the alert to detect 'insults."
Deadly weapons are hahitually carried;
for some ''difficulty'' or other, having
its foundation in drink, is perpetually
on the tapis. The mother tongue is
much employed in asseverations of in
tent to kGH, or willingness to die, sin de-
Tense of my honor"
Now, there is here disclosed mental
nervous state that is habitually present
and is in constant activity The tone
of the voice, the expression of the eye,
the matter of the speech necessarily
impress themselves on the daily be-
holder, whether he drinks or not. His
voice, his looks, lis speech begin to
correspond with these perpetual sur
roundings. His nerves vibrate in unison
with the nervous impulsions of others.
AS a chord in musical vibration
awakenS a sympathetic movement in
other chords, so the mere on-looker be-
comes imbued, through nervous sym
pathy, with kindred nervous feelings.
Even the women of the households,
through force of habit and association,
rather encourage the ragings and kill
ings and dyings for ''honor's'' sake; and
in case of tragedy they wear their
weeds with something of pride and
vanity, for have not their lords and
husbands died in defending their
honor?" 1t really seems to be possible
that an inhabitant of an inebriate com
munity might transmit neurotic con-
stitution to his posterity, weighted with
all the evil potentialities of that con-
stitutiOn, even though he had never
himself tasted alcohol. 1t is manifest
that when the indispensable prerequi-
site to knowledge, namely, sensation, is
materially depressed and torpid, clear
ard true idea of any thing presented to
the mind is an impossibility. But the
senses are not merely weakened by al
cohol They are unequally depressed,
and. besides, they are disturbed in the
uniformity with which they sevcrally
represent the same thing, both with re-
spect to quality and completeness.
There is distortion and caricature in the
mental pictures Ola drunken man. Tho
information conveyed by the senses,
and especially the sense of feeling, is
not only imperfect. incapable of becom-
ing set in definite shapes, but it is de-
formed and even false.
If person esteemed to be trust
worth deceivcs and falsifies regarding
important things, those deceived by the
Justification will think and act wrong
fully respecting the things misrcpre-
sented. And this is the only rational
and honest course they can pursue. In
a manner parallel, when drunken in
dividual is deceived by false reports
coming through the sense of feeling,
and in fact through all the several
senses, the convictions of his mind. and
the language and conduct inspired by
them, must be out of harmony with
facts as they are observed by men in
general; that is. out of proper relation
with the recognized fitness of things.
There is another point of view from
which to observe the distinctive influ-
ence of alcohol upon the mind-the
point of consciousness. If alcohol de-
prcsscs-blUnts sensation in proportion
to the quantity taken into the system
then the presumption is that there
must be a point OF alcoholic saturation,
at which sensation will be practically
distinguished, and this is the actual
fact. This condition of alcoholic tor
pidity is not sleep. The senses are not
simply suspended and subject TO revival
at the instigation of some slight ir1ita-
tion. or possibly of the walieful mind
itself. On the contrary, the senses are
truly paralyzed by the poison, and no
amount of irritation will serve to arouse
them. This paralysis will remain I'M
alterable as long as the conditions in
ducing it are unchanged. No effort Of
volition will exercise the slightest in
fuence upon it. Indeed, volition itself
is impossible. For, if the paralysis is
partial, an enfeepled will may provoke
partial response, yet mere slumber, or
dizziness, Or fatigue may respond to the
impress of volition. There is, there
fore, radical difference between the
Inconsistencies of physiological states
and that of psychological states.
Now, to know precisely the injury
done to the mind by the suspension of
consciousness by alcohol, it will be
proper to make some inquiry as to the
nature, or, rather, the offices of con-
seriousness.
Sir William Hamilton describes con-