Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-10
A NEW KIND OF DRUNKENNESS. Alarming Prevalence of Ginger Tip
 bling in the Quaker City.

From the Philadelphia Times.
 The ginger habit has supplemented the liquor habit It has become kind of fad in some classes of society, and it's danger ous inroads upon health are forcing it upon the attention of physicians, while, as an outgrowth of high license legislation, it is at the same time recommending itself to the attention of lawmakers. The gin ger habit is worse than the ordinary li- quor habit, because it is more rapid in its effects and means earlier ruin to the health of the individual It has only recently come to the attention of physicians and druggists that in thousands of families the peppery dose that has borne the pop ular appearance of innocence and respec- liability has become au agent of debauch- cry.
 The tincture of ginger, or Jamaica gin ger, as it is popularly known, is the strongest and most irritating alcoholic so- lution known, ranking next to alcohol ab- solute, which is undrinkable, and stand ing ual to commercial alcohol, which is | never used as a beverage. The Jamaica ginger is sold by druggists and grccers in four-ounce vials, and the unbottled tine l ture is retailed at one ounce and upward. During the past few months the demand | for the article, which has been steadily growing for a number of years, has be- come unprecedented, and some druggists are already beginning to flag" habitual | inquirers.
 The greatest demand is in those sections that are at distance from the principal | business centers of the city, although the | Chestnut and Market street druggiats themselves have experienced and not l the rapid growth of the traffic. The mo, t | alarming phase of the habit is its preva- l lence among women.
 Dr. w. G. Mcdonnell said yesterday: "The tincture of ginger can be bought for | about five cents an ounce. It contains fully ninety-fve per cent. of alcohol, so that in an ounce of ginger there is more than two ounces of whisky. The way it is now being used is amazing. I know a physician, a man very prominent in his | profession, who died only short time ago from the effects of ginger drinking. You would think a physician would know bet ter, and he did, but in spite of the warn ings and protestations of his friends in the profession he would use it daily as a beverage, diluting it one-third.
 '1 was in drug store only few days ago when young girl came in twice, buy ing each time two ounces of ginger. The | QruRglSC SalQ Sne q been III UWelVe times that day. He knew that her mother and her sisters d1ank it, but it had never oc. cured to him that he should refuse to sell them the article. I was called not long ago to attend woman who admitted tc me that she was in the habit of drinking
 sixteen ounces day. Think what dose
 that is! It would have the strength oi
 more than twice that amount of whisky
 It would surprise you to know how many
 patients afflicted with the ginger habit the
 physicians of this city are now struggling
 with.
 "The majority of them are women
 who, until few years past, were accus
 toned to sending to the neighboring sa
 loon for beer or whiskey whenever they
 wanted it, night or morning, or Sunday
 One woman told me she began to drink il
 when she couldn't run into a handy saloon
 with her pitcher, but found that she could
 buy all the ginger she wanted at the drug
 gist's or at the grocery store, and that ii went further and had more effect thar anything else Old drinkers at the bar art familiar with the effects of ginger, and suppose the growth of the present habi has its origin with them. It is encroach ing upon the very best society, and man, an exclusive morning and afternoon gath