The times., 1899-02-27
TREATMENT OF INEBRIATEs.
Novel system Introduced in Great
Britain.
From the London Timcs.)

| in recent times than the system established
| by the act regulating the treatment OF
| habitual inebrates which has lately come
/ into operation. Hitherto we have dealt
| tenderly and foolishly with the confirmed
/ drunkard, even if he was his own worst
enemy and a nuisance to others. 1t was
supposed to be his right to squander his
substance. TO ruin his health, to come on
the parish in old age when he could no
longer earn drink money. and to go to
prison from time to time, remaining long
enough there to prepare himself for fresh
debauch. And so the courts have become
familiar with miserable wretches. lunatics
in all but name, such as Jane Cakebread,
who are punished hundreds of times for
offences due TO one irresistible passion. A
feeble attempt TO correct this scandal was
made by the acts of 1879 and 1883. But
the statute of last year is the first serious
endeavor 10 mend matters. The statute
! has little application to those who keep
out of the clutches of the criminal law.
But if prisoner is convicted of an in
dictable offence. and the court is satisfied
that the offence was committed under the
influence of drink. or that drunkenness was
"a contributing cause of the offence and
he admits. or a jury finds, that he is an
habitual drunkard the court may, in ad
dition 10 the usual sentence, order his de-
tention in a State inebriate reformatory
or a certified inebrate reformatory for a
term not exceeding three years.
This does not meet the cases so often
coming before police magistrates of per-
sons repeatedly convicted OF petty offences
due to drunkenness or accompanied by 1t.
To deal in some measure with such cases
the Legislature has provided for the de-
tention of persons convicted of drunken
ness or offences connected Herewith or i'm
plying it four times within twelvemonth.
Provision. however, is not made for all
the incorrigibles whom it is desirable TO
see put out of harms way; and if the eX-
pertinent now made answers We may eX-
pect considerable extension of the scope
of the statute. Power is given 10 the
State to establish inebriate reformatories
and the Home Secretary may give GER
tificate 10 a reformatory set up by county
or borough council or by private person.
OF course, too. there is authority to arrest
and detain habitual drunkards who after
sentence in due form make their escape.
A large number of regulations as to the
conduct of such institutions have been
published. They are very minute and all
well meant, though they strike one as
trife too grandmotherly. 1t seems little
hard that every officer must be total
abstainer, and that taking glass of ale
at his own house or while he is on his
holidays might endanger his post. The
superintendent who will fulfill in the man
ner expected by the regulations the duties
of jailer and philanthropist must be
prodigy: and his lot will be unenviable
if, in addition 10 ruling an establishment
tenanted by cranks. freaks. and lunatics,
one OF his most important duties is Ito
assist in providing inmates with employ
ment on their discharge, and 10 endeavor
TO prevent them from falling again under
the influence of drink
The act confers on the owners and man
ayers of such institutions large and novel
powers, which are somewhat out OF har
mony with the principles underlying Eng
lish life and will need TO be watched with
jealousy. We are little inclined to tamper
much with the notion which most English
men still entertain that mans best keep
er is himself. But IL is caricaturing that
which is true and wholesome to treat as
a rational being one who cannot control
his appetite for strong drink, and who is
TO all intents and purposes a lunatic when
alcohol is within his reach. Public opin-
ion was reluctant TO approve of so signal
departure as is implied in this measure
from the doctrine that man should be
the master of his fate. But facts were too
strong; here as in other countries an over
whelming case was made out, in the opin-
ion of almost every doctor. governor OF a
prison. police magistrate, and clergyman
with experience of the darker side of life,
for treating as seriously sick or insane the
habitual drunkard who cannot observe the
criminal law of the land. The insanity
OF inebriety is now a well recognized form
Of lunacy. II is often the result or con-
comitant CT nervous disease. II is an in
cident of a weedy, rickety condition with
low vitality now called degeneracy. Very
often it is the outcome of toedium vitoe
coming as the sequel to disease or de-
bauchery. The ''alienists" recognize it
just much as the doctors recognize
smallpox. The new statute touches only
the fringe of the evil. For so long as the
drunkards vice is strictly private he will
not come within the scope of the chief pro-
visions, which are confined TO criminal ha-
btual drunkards.
Sooner or later If the statute answers,
and il no abuses spring up in connection
with the licensed institutions, the legisla-
ture can scarcely fail to go a step further
The lunatics are feeble-minded persons
whose existence is the justification of ex-
ceptional legislation here and in most civ
iliZed States. are not all criminals, or If
they break the law. the connection of their
offence with intemperance may be obscure
and uncertain. workingman falls into
habits Of drunkenness: he goes from bad
TO worse; he loses self-respect and self
control he returns to the workhouse time
after time; and he quits 1t only when he
has strength enough TO indulge in a drink
ing bout. Another person. in different
class of life, falls out of his profession by
reason of his intemperance; he becomes
burden TO his family or his friends. and he
may at any moment stray into crime In
a third case. the victim of intemperance
would, in his better moments, readily sur
render his liberty for a time but his will
/ is weak and his appetites are strong. and
he becomes wreck and dead weight on
society. These are poor materials for MAX
| ing, under any regime. strong, wholesome
men and women. II is treading on deli
cate ground to propose 10 restrict the lib
erty Of such people. who. some would say.
ought to be allowed TO 90 their own way
wherever il leads. That, however, is not
the view likely in these days TO be accept
able, more especially as many physicians
speak hopefully of the possibility of cur
ing under proper conditions, considerable
percentage of habitual drunkards. Let the
doctors strengthen their case on this point
and the conscientious objection" OF the
habitual drunkard, or. If we may judge by
some recent colonial legislation. Of the per
sistently Incorporate consumer of morpnia
or chloral. TO enter a retreat may not al
ways avail him.
1t is hard TO say how soon the act will
be a reality. Some questions need first TO
be cleared up. VIII there be forthwith a
.'drunkards rest in every county or large
| town? VIII the majority of public author
| tiles leave the supply of retreats to private
enterprise? VIII the judges at assiZes and
| magistrates at quarter sessions forbear to
| exercise the powers given to them because
no proper institutions for receiving habit
ual drunkaTds exist? Sir Wilfrid Lawson
would have it that the publicans should
| support such establishments; and, as he