The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-21
WOMEN TIPPLERs IN ST. LOUIS.
1t Is Said That the Number of Those
no Take Their GrOE Is Increas-
From the St. Louis RepubIic.


From the st. Louis Republic.
Have you noticed at any of the local
summer gardens that many women we'll
known in St. Louis society sip and ap-
parently enjoy decoctions that femininity
is popularity supposed to decline and alb
hor? A prominent st. Louis physician is
authority for the statement that the tip
ping practice among society women is as
suming proportions that are alarming and
dangerous. HIS name cannot be given
because his clientele is largely of the
fashionable folk. but he knows too well
whereof he speaks. Plain plebeian beer
or good old rye whisky does not seem to
find favor with the fair imbibers, but
rather they turn to the more insidious pa
producing decoctions of the French
Cordials hqueurs and mixtures seem to
lead, and with womans idea of the
eternal fitness of things she chooses her
drinks much as she does her dresses
with the weather eye to the color effect.
Inc prismatic colors of the French liq-
ueurs are so pretty and attractive that
she dallies with them until she discovers
the penalty that is being exacted from her
physical system, and then she quits IL
she can; If not, she goes to a physician
" GU would be surprised to see the num-
Der of dipsomania cases that are on nv
visiting list. says the Republics medical
informant. and then he goes to say:
The habit of tippling is undoubtedly
fastening upon st. Louis society women.
There can be no doubt about it, even to
the outsider who looks at society longing
~ from place afar off. Did you ever
notice that many of the fashionable pat
rons of the different summer gardens fire.
auently order drinks that have heretofore
been regarded as distinctly masculine?
Inc reason is not far to seek. The vari-
ETY. of soft drinks is in reality not large.
They are nearly all based on carbonated
water, and they soon become insufficient
and unsatisfying. So milady rebels; she
feels that she is hampered too much by
unjust conventionalties and she argues
with herself her pet theory of a single
standard of propriety for men and women.
Then some night at some amusement re-
sort she asks her escort if there would be
any particular harm if she had ahem-
well, for instance. one of those drinks
The chances are 10 to ! that unless he is
relative or her fiance he will encourage
her curiosity and presto the beginning
is made. After that progress is easy, and
the ultimate result depends entirely on
the woman. If she be or good healthy
stock, and with a balance wheel of good
common sense. she will indulge her new
ly acquired taste in moderation and no
one will be the wiser.
But, on the other hand take a case
that have now under treatment. The
father of the woman was noted drinker.
and his sons followed in his footsteps The
mothers adherence for drink was as
strong as her husbands craving, and
while she could not control the boys, she
did bring up the girls on the most strict
temperance lines. Until she reached her
18th year the woman whom I am treating
knew nothing of liquor except that it had
decreased materially the happiness of her
girlhoOd home She was at a summer
garden one night and took her first
drink. 1t was an ordinary plain mint ju-
lep. innocent looking enough, but it was
quite sufficient to awaken a craving that
before had lain dormant. From that time
on she gratified her desire until it was
necessary to call in a physician. Will she
recover? oh, my boy, that's a question.
How many men with inherited craving
for liquor do recover? You know as well
as / that they are few. and a woman's
will power is less than that of a man.
THE remedy? Bless you, there is none.
except to stay away from it. Ten years
ago a woman would not dare drink an al
coholic beverage in public, but times have
changed, and the vices of this degener-
ate age are the physicians excuse for the
accumulation of wealth"