The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-13
FROM THE DRINK HABIT
WRITER WRITING WITHOUT
FACTS.
AND 1; SHOOTING At RANDOM
Tie Efficiency Of the Kelley Treatment Ad-
mltted by Skeptic and Yet he Would
Not Advise lis Use. Drunk
enness Disease.

| have just read funny article IN
the Washington Post. II is an article
that must have been written 10y the
Posts famous funny editor, whose pnr-
pose seems TO have been to theorze on
the subject of the liquor habit or as the
Post finally puts it the disease OF drunk
enness. or this editorial desire to make
Il few observations, and as it il manifest
ly unfair to attempt a reply to an argu-
ment without first quoting the gist Of
the other side of the matter. | will
begin by quoting from the Posts edi-
torial as f0llows
CURES FOR DRUNKENNESS.
George NJ. Pullman, son of the late
sleeping car magnate, has gone to White
Plains to take the Kelley cure. lie has
tried to reform, he says, but has failed,
and now he turns to Kelley for aid in
the effort to make man of himself.
Just what the Kelley cure consists of
we are not prepared to say. In some
quarters the impression is that at such
places as White Plains the patients are
furnished all the whisky they want, that
everything they eat and drink is tinctur-
ed with whisky, and that whisky Is so
forced upon them at every opportunity
that ut last the mere smell OF it makes
them i'll, and they turn from it with nor
ror and disgust. This idea, however, is
not extensively entertained. The general
ly accepted theory is that the treatment
consists OF hypodernic injections of
fluid which contains an ingredient of gold
peculiarly prepared for the occasion. As
no one III Washington has, to our SnOwl-
edge, ever found 1t necessary to try this
experiment. we are unable to speak with
authority, and, therefore, admit at the
outset that We have no authentic data
at our disposal. All we know is that che
cure does cure for the time being, and
that discharged patients have frequently
been known to abstain from the use of
liquor for several months. Indeed, there
are instances though these are in
handsome minority where men have
continued to be immune and still PROM
Use TO make their rescue permanent. We
have seen the results, without having
any sure information as to the methods,
and our conclusion is that the Kelley
cure is of very limited usefulness. There
are just enough exceptions to emphasize
the general rule that nothing will cure
the habit of drunkenness except the rare
strength of mind and the phenomenal
self-control with which few men-a
very lin this world are endowed.
The liquor habit--or, rather, the habit
of Drunkenness disease 1t is like
chills and fever, or cholera morbus. You
cure these malades by this drug or that,
and the patient will recover; but he is
not thereby gifted with perpetual i'm
munity. lie may be attacked again
he usually isand then the treatment
must be repeated"
Now the writer of the above is al
most unpardonably lacking in informa-
ton even as to what is every day oc-
curing within ear shot OF his editorial
sanctum. He says or intimates that
no one in Washington has ever found
it necessary to try this experiment.
Why bless his mislead soul, there are
scores OF KeeEey graduates in Washing
ton to my certain knowledge, men oc-
cupying and who have occupied high
position in professional, commercial and
political life.
He speaks of Kelley institutes as
though their existence was vague and
uncertain, and far away when the fact
is that there is a well managed, well at
tended and successful Kelley Institute
located at 211 North Capital street, with
in a stones throw Of the capitol build
ing. Ii this editorial writer Of the Post
will take the time to make Il little iii
yestigation he will find busy men, brainy
men, and valuable citizens Of the ma
tons capital and neighbors of himself
and the Post who have been cured OF
the drink habit at this Washington
city Keeley Institute as well as White
Plains, Greensburg, Dwight and other in
stitutes and if he will go u little fur
Their he will fnd-unless Washingtonians
are mulch harder to mar than ordinary
folks-tha large majority of the cured
are cured TO stay cured
The Post writer admits what all be-
levers in the Kelley cure contend, to-
wit: that the drink habit is a disease,
and If that is so, why not test it es-
pecially when the disease gets to the
point where the patients life is threaten
ed and il the Kelley cure cures many
and relieves all of them why not dose
the drinker with the gold cure like the
physician does the chill and fever pa
tent with quinine or antipyrine, il il
cures or relieves chills and fever and
the other cures or relieves the disease OF
drunkenness, as the Post writer admits.
then the Kelley b. chloride of gold is
essential 10 human health in the same
proportion that chills and fever and
the disease of drunkenness disturb hu
mainly.
Ii Mr.. Pullman was troubled with
chilis and fever he would, perhaps, under
the advice of physicians resort to the
Well known antidotes for these diseases.
Ii he is so unfortunate as to be dis
eased with the drink habit he shows
courage and good sense in resorting tt
the worlds best known remedy for this |
terrible disease-the famous Keeley cure
tho only mistake that Mr.. Pullman made
was In not going to the Kelley institute |
in Greensboro | have, of course, moth |
ing to say against White Plains, but d /
few weeks stay in the city of lFlowers |
at the country's best Kelley Institute.
would not only have cured him, but i. |
would have been of much interest, and