The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-16
THE NEW DRINK CURE.
Good Results SO Far From DR.. Op-
penheimer's Specific.
Six Patients With Deiirium Tremens
Improve Rapidly.


enness have been so successful as to sur
prise the hospital officials
"It Is the most wonderful thing ever
saw" said Superintendent Murphy. "If
1t continues TO benefit the patients as IL
has done SO far, IL will prove a godsend" 4"
Two wards accommodating six persons
have been regularly opened for the recep-
tion Of alcoholic patients AS prelimi-
nary, and while the wards were being
made ready DIR. Oppenheimer began his
demonstration upon five of the workmen
about the hospital
These men are confirmed drunkards
There are always number of them at
Bellevue. When one of them goes on one
of his periodical sprees, he Is put into tho
alcoholic ward and kept there until he Is
able to get out and go to work. Then he
is put on somc OF tho rough work In the
hospital and the morgue, and usually,
after two or three weeks, no has another
turn at delirium tremens. In this way
some of the men remain at the hospital for
years as patients and workers alternately.
They get their board and lodging and a
little money when they work. The money
goes for drink as soon as they get 1t, and
the men grow old in an aimless and hope
less existence.
Six Of the worst of these confirmed
drunkards were picked out TO try DIR. Op-
penheimer's specific The doctor explained
TO them what the purpose Of the medicine
was and assured them that 1t couldn't
hurt them. He agreed to take a dose
every time he gave 1t to them, and five of
them consented to try It, The sixth re-
fused because he had heard that persons
cured Of drunkenness became insane.
The five men have been taking the
specific every day since II Is given by the
teaspoonful and not in injections The
men say that they feel much better in
every way. They arc at liberty to drink
II they wish, but soy they have no desire to-
"The change in them Is remarkable"
Superintendent Murphy said. "They look
better. Their eyes are brighter, their steE
Is not SO listless, their nervousness Is gone
and they seem TO have some life In them.
They have money In their pockets, too,
something that hasn't happened before in
years. One of them was 30 shaky before
he took the medicine that he had to use
both hands TO raise glass to his lips. His
nerves have improved wonderfully, and
he has no desire to drink. He was COM
planning today that he didn't even want
20 chew tobacco any more" "
The patients whose treatment began the
other day arc OF different type They are
in the worst stages of delirium tremens,
and they were brought TO the hospital in
ambulances Four We're placed under DR.
Oppenheimer In the morning and two at
noon. They have already greatly improv-
ed Superintendent Murphy and Assistant
Superintendent Richards said that one Of
them had about the worst case of delirium
tremens they ever saw. His hands were
a. 4. l..
not picking at imaginary insects on the
bcdclothes and he was afraid of every one
who came near him. He was unable to
speak This was at noon, when Dr. Op-
penheimer gave him his first dose. In the
evening the tension had relaxed, and he
was able to give his name and address
and to tell his history. A similar change
had taken place in the condition of the
Others.
A remarkable thing about the new cure
Is the quicknoss y,,th which IL works The
desire for drink is destroyed in from to
"a hours, and all the alcohol Is driven out
of the system in from three TO five days
II don't ask you to believe these state
ments," said DIR. Oppenheimer to the re-
porter, "but come to the hospital in two
or three days and SEQ If they are not borne
out by the facts.
"What this specific does Is to restore the
patient to his normal condition. The de-
sire for alcohol disappears and he is just
as Indifferent toward 1t as before he ever
tasted It. If he continues TO leave it alone,
be will never have any desire for 1t again
OF course he can begin drinking again
and may acquire the habit again, but II
he docs It's his own fault. He can be cured
second time as easily as before
Drunkenness Is undoubtedly disease,
and it may be hereditary or acquired The
condition that leads up to it is lack of
tone In tho nervous system. Once such a
person begins to take stimulants the dis
ease grows by what it feeds on. Some be-
come addicted to alcohol, others to NOR
phine or cocaine This specific will cure
one as well as the other, and have cases
of the morphine habit constantly in my
private practice. The morphine habit
takes little longer 70 cure than alcohol
ism. The cocaine habit can be cured in sc
hours. -
DIR. Oppenheimer is regular physician
Of standing, He has used his discovery in
his private practice for four years and two
years ago established private sanitarium
in which Dr. A. l.. Loomis and DIR. George
Il. Shrady were consulting physicians. 1t
had to be given up because the patients
got well SO soon that there was no money
in it, Up TO the present time DR.. Open
hcimer has declined TO say anything pub
licly about his specific. A short time ago
one OF the mon no had cured insisted that
the discovery should be brought 20 the at
tention of the public. He suggested TO DR.
Oppenheimcr that the commissioners of
charities might be interested in 1t. DR..
Oppenheimer declined TO take any steps
but the patient went to the commissioners
and persuaded them to send word for DR..
Oppenheimer. A conference was held, In
which Mayor Strong participated, ard,
as a result, the experiment now going on
waNeietermined upon.
DIR. opponhcimcr has had some amusing
experiences in overcoming the skcpticism
bf some of his patients. About q year ago
two friends of his wound up discussion
over the merits Of his discovery by MAX
ing "a bet that one of them could take three
doses of the medicine on each of two sue
cessive days and then take drink Of whis-
a. .1...t.r a -