The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-07
DRUNksx ksaL,sH EonEx
AIsr-ips Addiction. n Ir.bristy A-o..
British Mates aud Mntrona

] Aiaruisg Addietions tn Irsbristy A-o,.
| BRUSH Mates aud Matrona
| LONDON Dec ~ -" Drunk a. duchess" a,
| a popular phrase in the mouth Of the Fnsli,h
people Just now, AMI II is n phrase povetlugv
| suggestive OF u striking ami shocking copit.
| ton of affairs in English society. coming A,
all such popular by.words DO from ant anna.
citation OF prominent features OF the lie ana
affairs Of to-day. Drinking among women IA
the higher and highest social ranks OF Ena.
lish society is developing into national scan.
dal. says Lady Henry Somerset And puhli,
meeting was held here recently. presided owe,
by this lady, at which some remarkable st.ts.
mentsNere made OF tho prevalence OF drunk.
enness among women in high life.
But drinking Is not an attribute merely a,
women in high lie What is more serious ana
which touches the life OF the whole nation 4.
the prevail encs and increase OF drunkenue.,
among woman OF all classes throughout III.
kingdom. \ national shame" IL how thu
London Daily Neirs characterizes the startling
revelations that have been made recently
through public meetings. official reports and
a general Investigation and open discussion
concerning the great evil. II was made a sub.
iect Of special inquiry by a committee OF lar.
Lament this year. and startling Testimony a.
to tho prevalence OF tho vice among women
was given by magistrates. coroners. oGncers Of
public institutions. and medical men Of high
standing. tho latter headed by no less q man
than the late Sir Andrew Clark. Gladstones
old physician.
OF an average Of ~, 900 women commlttsdta
prison annually in the United Kingdom IN the
past few years eighty Der cent. were sent
there for drum kenness. or for offences arising
from or allied to unkenness. The testimony
OF tho police courts 10 that the vice ia prevs-
lent among all classes in the East End OF Lon
don. Not alone women OF q disreputable class
come before the MAGISTRATES charged with
drunkenness. but wives OF respectable work.
inRmen and young women earning their liy-
ing, and otherwise conducting themselves in
. respectable way. All ages. as we'll as all
classes, are victims OF the vice. There are Any
records OF women drunkards OF 80 and as
years Of age. and many OF those but 15 To 10
years old. Five unmarried girls II years old
were charged with drunkenness in ono court
in q single day. and girls OF tenderer years are
found In the streets In the early morning,
helpless from nights drunken debauch. In
1901 there were In London some 1900 CON,
victions Of women for drunkenness LasA
year the number OF such convictions was inA
creased by over 800. and there were in sddi4
tion e,373 arrests OF women on the charge q
having been drunk and disorderly.
One OF the best known coronors Of tho Eas&
End. Mr.. Whynne Baxter. whose many year&
OF close contact and daily experience with
people In that part Of the city constitute him
an i'm portant authority. told the Pafliament<
AIRY committee that drunkenness entered. di4
recty or indirectly. into half tho inqucsts Id
held. The matter was treated mostly as q
Of that locality. think nothing Whatever Of
drunkenness among women. He 5Alieved
would have good homes but for the curse Of
drnnkenness that afnicts their wives. and In
this regard Is worse than that Of the men. IL
The Parliamentary returns OF drunkenness
s sSSpd q for h. saSw @ sS
snd the rbzs iSs Gs1.
while drunk. In the same period 22.sol men
for the s.S av snd for
hall as many women as men In Scotland are
addicted Nh to The VICE . q drpnkenpess SIM.
Of late to BE- Gradually but percsptisiy sow low.
And private eathe rinss" fhe Tancsi SAYS saysi
that GRS wa1 ass ss IPsp sSa
way IN which they enter publio houses"
to T .hs n
e tryps 10 as S some wfy TO stop
81 those Best ale to in S that ns. sSsSS
y prisons is OF NO benefit whatever in the case
proposition Tor the compulsory secluslon and
,ure ofdrunkards In retreats nnder state con:
bs ass 81 He 'sd he wO
eelina OF the English people for the
reedom OF the person would allow
md would especially enforce It In the
earliest stages OF the vice IN the case OF
.omen. He said. and he spoke from . great
,.xperience. especially IN private dealings with
irunkards, that tho drinking habit was din.
'ult to cure in men, but II was all bur impos-
'ible In women. When taken In hand early
'ures were obtained In both sexes. but, in his
experience. even then the proportion OF cures
u women was painfully small
The Governor Of Pentonvlls prison says
ghen woman is thoroughly bnd IN this vice
y drunkenness she is thoroughly hopeless
These deductions have been partly explained
" the fact that in the case Of women Of the
letter class especially. among whom Or. Clark
aid he could not recount fve cures, women
re acreened In the practise OF tho Vice for
longer time than men and be-
ONE very much addicted to II before q cure
3 attempted. The general sentiment Just now
Gems to be for the establishment of retreats
nder state or local county, control. where
runkards will no compulsorily treated. But
FhAtevsr the remedy adopted. the need OF
rastic one Is most painfully apparent. Drunk.
mess among women has. indeed. in England
ecome q national shame"