The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-12
THE CURE OF INEBRIETY.
WHAT IS SEEN IN A VISIT TO ONE
OF THE KELLEY lNsTITUTEs

WHAT IS SEEN IN A VISIT TO ONE
OF THE KELLEY INSTITUTES.
Administering the Bi-Chlor!de of Gold
Treatment TO Men Chiefly From the
Learned Professions-How thu Days
Are Passed During the Period of
lie deal Discipline "A Whisky Ear
Exclusively for the Patients.
(Copyright)
New York Oct. I0.-Not far back fro
the grim Westchester county jail, in the
village of White Plains, is a fine old man
sion, surrounded by generous grounds and
trees century old. IL is a large wooden
building, painted white, with wide piazzas,
and large futed doric pillars on three of its
sides. 1t was built by wealthy family
back early in the forties. and occupied for
nearly two years as home of comfort aud
luxury. The old mansion has arrived at a
sensational period in its history The
floors, relaid since hardly a month, echo
to many strange footsteps. Four
times day peculiar scene is enacted in
the spacious room that was formerly the
parlor of the mansion. Forty we'll dressed
men. who have come to confess themselves
habitual drunkards or victims of the opium
h abit, pass in line before physician and re-
ceive the bi-chloride of gold hypodermic
treatment. The larger number OF the men
IN t0is line are in the decade between 40
and 30 years, and bear the marks of pro-
fessional career and an existence passed in
large towns A few are young men whose
dress and manners indicate wealthy con-
nections. In the line are lawyers, physi-
Cd 4 - Il.
Some OF them are men sent there by their
employers from large business concerns in
New York. At O'Clock, at II o'clock and
at and 1880 o'clock the line forms in the
wide ball OF the old mansion. The men have
removed their hats and coats Just within
the parlor is small. table with box-like
cover which opened discloses a bottle con-
tanning light pink liquid, two hypodermic
svringeS, two walls containing opium and
morphine and an array of two-ounce and
four-ounce bottles filled with BOURBON
whisky. AS the doctor comes for ward and
nils one OF the little syringes from the pink
liquid, music box on the other table is
playing. The first man in the line tiers
the room, bares his left arm and in an in
slant the sharp point in the needle is ap-
piled and he receives near his shoulder
drop of the pink liquid. He hands the
physician an empty two-ounce bottle and
receives in return a similar bottle filled
with bourbon whiskey. The next in line, a
tall man with well cut iron grey beard and
face that curiously blends resolution and
business energy with an expression of over
strong nerves. receives tho injection, but
turns away without asking for the bourbon
He, however, gives to an attendant an eight
ounce bottle, fiat on one side and cou-
vex on the other on which is written mo.
)" ana the name OF the man. The attend
ant brings him bottle numbered 4. The
line passes rapidly before the young physi-
clan, all barring their arm for the pinch of
the hypodermic syringe, some receiving q
flask of the whisky, few asking for NOR
phine or opium and getting it, and many
exchanging the numbered bottles The
music continues, the line moves on in ST.
lence, broken oaly by an almoet whispered
question now and then from the little doc
tor as he feels the patients pulse and plies
his needle
After the treatment the men leave the
house usually in pairs and stroll leisurely
back to the village. Most of them have a
common destination in hotel down near
the principal business street of the town.
The hotel has flourishing liquor bar, and
as the msc arrive at the house many of
them pass through this room redolent with
the odors of the intoxicants. They perhaps
stay and chat over the bar with the dis
psnser of drinks who may be serving Gus
lucy phuobs uOWoV0Et OuIY LOT
moment, as they are bound for a room Just
beyond, In one corner Of which is a little
case Of shelves filled with bottles. This
tiny cupboard is known among the men aud
in the village as 1.-THE Kelley bar" 1t is the
repository of the numbered eight-ounce
bottles and of some of the whisky TASKS
All day 1t is unlocked and the men have
free recourse to it.
The institution at White Plains is the
New York state branch of the Kelley SAM.
tarium In Dwight, Ill. 1t was established
five months ago by Charles +. Persons. who
cfme on from Dwight and spent five weeks
trying to find village that would offer the
conditions of Dwight in respect to having
no liquor saloons. and failing in that located
in the pretty little town III Westchester
county. Since the opening of the institute,
as it is called, 126 cases have been treated,
and forty-seven persons, including six
women, are now undergoing the course OF
doctorlng. About % per cent. of these are
victims Of the opium add morphine habit
The daily routine at the institute in the
periodical visit of the men for hypodermic
treatment is varied by the arrival of new
patients, usually much under the influence
carriages, but more frequently on foot,
alone or attended by friend who can give
a history of their case.
The patient is ushered into the office of
DR.. Van den Burg, the physician in charge,
and if the new conner is in condition to
listen and talk intelligentlv he is asked con-
corning both his general health and his in-
ebrity, IL the subject is an habitual drunk
ard, but is afflicted with no organic disease,
the hope is held out to him that in three
weeks he will be in the condition of a per-
son who has never had any appetite for alco-
holic stmulents, aud that if ne ever drinks
intoxicants after that he will do so from no
craving for the liquor, but because he de-
liberately or carelessly abandons himself to
the possibility Of reacquiring the appetite
To the periodical drinker however, not so
positive promises are made. He is told that
the craving for intoxicants will be eradi-
Gated by the double chloride of gold, but
that the periodiclty may return at its ac-
customed time. There will be the usual
premonitory symptoms. and if not checked
a spree Will certainly follow. He is in
formed, however, that he will be provided
with a reserve for emergency" medi-
cine when he leaves the institute,
to be taken when he is threatened
with a recurrence of his inability
to govern his appetite. The newly arrived
patient at the institute is told that he is to
be cured without the exertiou of any will
power on his part. He is to have all the
alcoholic liquor he wants to drink. He Is
given a 4-ounce bottle of good bourbon
whisky-or, if his lasts Graves it, some
other liquor-and told that the supply will
institute. The only restriction is that he
shall not drink any other liquor than what
is thus obtained. With morphiue and opium
4. % foIl Ill