The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-06
Drunkards Discussed By Doctors

| a question ny LII. w. n. hAU-
mond, DR.. =. n. Crothers, DIR. E. n. Car
penter and DR.. Cyrus Edson in the Septem.
! Der number Of the North A mericdn RevietU
Is the following: Is Drunkenness Curablel
They all answer the question in the affirm
alive, hut Dr. Edison is not 80 sanguine
about curing it as the others. He says that
recovery from habitual drunkenness is not
the rule; it is the exception. The peculiar
mental conditions with which the drunkard
starts on his career are so overwhelmingly
acted upon by alcohol and synergistic drugs
combined with it that his case is almost
hopeless from the START Dr. Crothers,
however, appears to be more sanguine
about curing drunkenness than any of the
Others. He does not believe in the
use OF drugs. Indeed, none of
the others believes that drugs are
helpful in the disease under confederation
and all Of them regard drunkenness as a
disease-but each Of them recommends pre-
ventive and restraining treatment In illus
tration of the beneficial effects of the treat
ment adopted in asylums for inebriates
DR.. Crothers says: The first statistical
study was made at Binghamton in 1878.
Inquiries we're made of the friends OF 1,500
patients, who had been treated Ave years
before at the asylum. or LOO replies, 81
and fraction per cent. were still temperate
and well after period OF FIVE years 1t
was a reasonable inference that if 81 per
cent. were still restored after this interval,
large percentage would continue 50
through their remaining lives. Another
sE,,Au 80 mazda at EO ~
Hamilton, n. V, which revealed the fact
that SO per cent. of these cases remained
temperate and sober after an interval Of
from seven to ten years from the time of
treatment. In the returns of 5000 cases
studied at the Wasningtonian house ct
Boston, Mass, 35 per cent. Of all the living
| persons who had been under treatment
from eight TO twelve years before were
temperate and WELL"
The foregoing is a pretty fair showing.
1t appears that when properly treated the
proportion of drunksrds treated in asylums
who recover is larger than that of insane peo-
pie who are sent to such institutions. And like
insanity, the sooner the treatment Of drunk
enness is begun after it becomes clearly re-
cognized the greater the probability that
cure will be effected.
There are many specifics for drunkenness,
and there are physicians who assert that by
means Of them they are generally successful
in effecting cures. There are reasons for
thinking, however that very little reliance
is to placed upon them. There are certain
drugs which, perhaps, may be used with
benefit while the patient is under that treat
| Ill
him, aud builds him up with nutritious
food, but there is no drug that, OF itself,
will effect a cure. in his article Or.
Hammond says: "As to the specific in
fuence Of the nitrate of strychnia. which
has had its day, aud the double chloride of
gold and sodium, which is now being palmed
Off on the public as a certain cure for drunk
enness, l have only to say that their use in
such a connection is most irrational, un>
scientific and delusive."
A suggestion that crops out in the articles
under review is that drunkenness cannot DE
cured by Furnishing the drunkards. The
police court records of the large cities show
beyond doubt that the punishment in
fiicted upon drunkards does them no good
They are no sooner released from prison
than they drink themselves again into inseu-
sibility, and are soon back into prison. And
it is not strange that it is So Drunkenness
being disease, either inherited or acquired,
punishment in the shape of fine or inn
prisonmenU does not cure it. And it is
rather q startling fact that over 60 per cent.
of all inebriates inherit the disease, which
shows itself even in the third and fourth
generations. If young men and women
could be made to realize this a much larger
proportion of them would turn aside from
the path that leads to drunkennes9
1t is a question whether the state should
not deal with drunkards just as it does with
imbeciles and insane people. Adrunkard is
certainly not capable Of taking care of his
own affairs, and frequently be is not in
condition to be responsible for his acts.
And this is the underlying reason, perhaps,
that legislators are gradually increasing the
restrictions upon the liquor traffic. Educa-
ton and moral suasion have some effect In
limiting drunkenness, but not much. The
putting Of drunksrds in asylums to cure the
disease and the prohibiting the sale of alco-
holic liquors TO prevent the disease are the
two ways to get rid of drunkenness
Missouri has no more popular men than her
| senator's Vest and COckrell, who are known
and respected throughout the length and
breadth of the state, quite as much for their
| personal worth as fOr their DoliticSl leadership.