The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-24
how HOMES ARE RUINED.
The Growth CT Dipscmania in High
Life.

Life.
tCopyrf1ht.l
NEW YORK, April 23.-One OF the most
noteworthy and painful features of the
present epoch is the alarming increase
Of dipsomania among the women
belonging to the highest classes of society
in Great Britain, and in a minor degree
here in the United States. There is but
little of it on the continent of Europe, and
the tendency to strong drink as far as
women are concerned, appears to be con-
| fined to the Anglo-S axon races. 1t is diff
cult to assign any reason for this, but
reference to the records Of the divorce
courts in London. Edinburgh and New
York will furnish abundant evidence
| of the fact that in almost every case where
the dissolution of marriage has been pro-
nounced in favor Of the husband, dipso-
mania has played a prominent part in
bringing about the matrimonial ship
wreck.
| IL Is especially in the higher circles of
| London society That this vice is rampant,
and it would seem that in proportion as the
| old fashioned heavy drinking of the men
diminishes that of the ladies augments.
Nothing is more instructive than to watch
| the women, both young and old, at the
| dinner par les in Mayfair and Belgravia, or
to observe them lunching, supping or din
| ing at the Hotel Bristol at the Amphitryon,
| the New Club, at the Bachelors, and ct
every club where the fair sex is admitted.
Formerly ladies of social eminence would
| have rec Jiled from the idea of drinking
| spirits liquors or even wines in public, and
| if they felt the need of stimuants they took
them subrosa and in secret. Now, how
ever, thsir hesitation on this score has dis
! appeared, and the amount of sparkling and
still wines and liquors that they consume
cOr0m pubLico is absolutely appalling.
As general rule the heads of our sex are
not our strongest point. Our hearts are SUI
perior thereto, and we are invariably dis
| posed to permit the latter TO obtain the mas
terry of the former. When, therefore, we
allow ourselves to give way to any DISPOSE
ton toward stimulents we lose our heads
| far more rapidly and more completely than
do men, and bee me far more reckless and
| needless OF consequences. And when we
| lose our heads we generally end by losing
not only our honor, but also that of our
| lords and masters. For few women are in
| possession of their sober senses when they
| betraY their nus ands. They have ilvaria-
bly, lost their mental equilibrium, their
| common sense and their powers OF
reasoning at the time, and in nine
cases cut OF ten this ABNORMAL phase Of dis
position is attri butable to drink. When their
| moral and mental faculties are obscured by
stimulaDts they can no longer be held
strictly accountable for their words or acts,
| and inasmuch as men are aware of this
they are apt, especially when INSCRIPTIONS,
t. take advantage of the knowledge.
Rotten Row and Vanity Fair, the two
promenades Of Hyde Park which during
the London season are thronged at certain
hours with oil the smartest element of So
ciety, have repeatedly during the past years
been the scene of manifestations of drunk
enness on the part of women belonging to
the highest rank.
1t was but the other day that Lady
! Zouche, peerless of the realm, was taken
| into custody by policeman and charged
| with drunkenness before magistrate. She
| was so intoxicated at the time OF her arrest
| that she was unable to remain seated on
| her horse, and rolled off into the sand.
There is a well-known ambassadress in Lon
don who has already once been under re-
straint for dipsomania, and whose inveter-
| ate taste for stimulants constitutes the
curse and the baue of the existence OF her
family.
Then there is the Lady Ida Wilson, sister
! of the Duke of Fife, and sister-in-law of
! Princess Louise of Wales, who he's repeat
eddy disgraced herself by appearing in the
row in a state of alternately noisy and
maudlin intoxication. Her first husband
was the well-known Adrian Hope one Of
the best whips in England. 1t was pre-
sumably in a moment of alteration conse-
quent upon an excessive use of stimulants,
that she eloped with a mau servant, who
subsequently, after she had been divorced
induced her to marry him. OF course. her
social ostracism Is complete.
Still another notable case OF the same
character, is that of the Countess of Desart,
who, even previous TO her elopement with
the actor. Charles Sugdeu, was universally
know in Mayfair as peeress more often To-
ebriated than sober.