Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-16
1,ebr,stv caused by whiskey is crav

Inebriety caused by whiskey IS craV
ING for whiskey. The craving is there
constantly or periodically whether the
Iiouor ia drunk or not. The terms drunk
enpess and lnebriety are frequently con-
fused. A mar who has chronic pols-
onlng from alcohol is an ineoriate De-
cause he Graves liquor. Drunkenness Is
acute alcoholic poisoning from drinking
alcoholic liquor in consequence OF a
craving for 1t or inebriety.
Heredity has always ranked high as
cause of inebriety. | do not think so.
Asa cause IL ranks among the least. L
do not think the craving for drink Is
tran snitted by heredity. do not think
that any other nervous disease ever Gre
ates a craving for drink. | do not think
ary condition of life, mental, moral or
physical, ever creates craving Tor
drink. These things may all lead per-
son, who is not an inebriate, TO begin
drinking and make an inebrlate OF HIM
self; but they do not cause ineorlety IN
any other way.
In nv opinion-and I base my opin-
ion on induction from facts that no one
can dispute and that are known to all
people-the heredity OF drinking
reaches back no further than the cradle.
Tue two great institutions which lead
to the diseaseOf inebretV are the saloon
and the nursery. The two great condl-
tions of life which lead TO drinking and
drug-taking are illness and csstom.
When an infant is born some form OF
alcohol is usually an attendant at the
IL L., -
bath or few drops OF some stlmulant IL
is probably through some neglect. IL IS
rare. indeed, thata child few days old
has not had hot whisky several times.
II the babe feeds on milk and water TOO
early, or il anything goes wrong Win
the mother or child, the domestic, ana
very likely the professional remedy Is
whisky.
But the diseases of infancy and child
hood create the call for and the use OF
the drugs that inebriate. Indigestion,
too much crying, cholera in!antum,
measles, scarlet fever and particularly
oiphtheria are treated by alcohol and
opium very largely by the physicians.
Children with indigestion are fretfnl
and are Quieted by whiskey or brandy
or some preparation Of opium. The
patent soothing syrupS contain opium
in some preparation or form. Very often
these drugs are given children habit
ualy until the children are several
months old.
In severe illness from chlldren's dis
eases alcohol is used always, and In
large quantities. 1t is not uncommon
the babes get q teaspoonful OF whisky
every hour for diphtheria.
do not question the propriety OF Civ
ins these drugs as remedies. L do not
doubt the wisdom or skill OF the phySl-
clans who find these remedies useful In
diseases. But 1 assert that the soothing
syrups and other opiate preparations,
the wines and hot slings and large
quantities Of alcoholic liquors given to
children TO quiet them, or cure them OF
diseases, cause inebriety.
1t is impossible TO give children opi-
ates or alcohol in any quantity without
causing corresponding drug inebriety.
All people who have had experience as
nurses, or who have closely observed
the troubles of childhood and their anti
dotes, will bear us out in these observa-
tions II the drugs are used in the man
ner here state, the consequences can
not be denied. II the drugs are used in
this manner, then it is true that they
make inebrates OF children, or 1t Is not
true that these drugs cause inebriety In
any person under any conditions.
The stamp Of the drug remains on
the brain OF the infant, even II the
drug is no longer given. The misery OF
babes drugged TO inebrety and then
very likely suddenly deprived OF the
accustomed stimulant is without doubt
as acute and great as in older people.
People who have dosed children with
soothing syrup know how difficult 1t
is to wean the child from the drug.
But even if the drug is no longer
given, the 1nebriety remains. When
the babe grows up TO the stage
of youth he has the craving
without a name or understand
ing perhaps until for some reason
stimulant or dose of the accustomed
drug is taken. There is an immediate
and perhaps prolonged debauch, fol-
lowed blythe usual phenomena Of inc
briefly. 1t makes no difference If the
drug is alcohol or opium or both. Both
Of these inebrieties may exist In the
same person, aud he may be both
drunkard and an opium user, and this
condition can be and often is the result
of opium or whisky iDebriety, acquired
in the cradle and nursery.
The inebriety OF youth, of middle life
and of the whole life is often the result
Of child-drugging, rather than hered-
ity. In fact, observation will prove
that in these cases OF apparent heredity
the parents and children were each
drugged with opiates ana alcohol. In
all estimates of the relation OF heredity
to inebriety this fact must be consider
ed, and II must be clear that in order TO
verify the heredty of inebriety it must
be proven that the children OF iuebri-
ateS have not had inebriety thrust upon
them by giving them the drugs that
cause this disease while they were yet
inhabitants Of the cradle and nursery.
Child inebriety is one Of the most
prevalent diseases. IL is coextensive
with the extent OF alcohol and opiates
given 10 children for any cause what
ever. 1t is, therefore, as extensive as
the prevalence Of the diseases Of child
hood, because the inebriating drugs are
universally used in these diseases. re-
gard child inebriety as the chief cause Of
ihtemperance among all classes lido not
say that every child subjected to the in
fluence Of these drugs becomes an active
inebriate, but l say that if the history
of inebriety is carefully inquired
into it will be found that the larger
number OF inebriates took opiates or al
cohol when they were children.
This question has prominent moral
and medical factors for consideration.