The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-23
DROWNED N PUNCH
Fearful Disclosures Made by
a St. Louis Woman.
APPEAL FOR TEMPERANCE
Evil of Cocktails and Wine at
Social Functions.

Philadelphia, August 22.-At the annual
convention of the Catholic Total Abstin-
ence Union of America recently the fol-
lowing startling statement was made:
with the virtues. purity, patience and
endurance OF local women drowned in the
hunch bowl and wine glass Of wealth and
the beer can of poverty. God pity our
children. our homes and our country"
ed by the third vice-president of the
union, Mrs. M l. Lake Of st. Louis, in
report to the effect that drunkenness
is on the increase among women, espe-
cially society women, who have DO time
TO eat and sleep consequently must turn
to what will give them strength to get
through their social functions,
Mrs Lake, who read her report, took
the breath of her listeners away when
she said. bluntly speaking OF the use of
intoxicants by society women:
why, would you believe 1t, at many
afternoon teas intoxicating liquor has
taken the place of tea to a noticeable ex-
tent
There is where the young debutantes
begin to acquire the taste for stimulants.
II is added to by the wines served at
their dinners. Soon they do not care TO
eat unless they have their cocktails first.
The rest follows as a matter of course.
There is but one sure cure-stop the man
ufacture of intoxicating liquor.
There are many women from higher
classes of society going to the House Of
the Good Shepherd voluntarily to get
away from liquor.
1.-THE number is increasing all the
time" continued Mrs Lake, quoting the
Mother Superior, land at the woman's al
coholic ward at Bellevue the attending
nurses and physicians state that seldom
a day goes by that some decent-lookng
woman is not brought in or comes her
self to be treated. The ratio has gone up
frightfully in the past few years.
''Why, treatment for the drink habit
among the -Four Hundred is now almost
as common among physicians as treat
ment for coughs and colds
Or H. A. Gillette says that many
women acquire the taste for alcohol
from cologne. which they drink con-
stantly, and which contains &c per cent of
alcohol. They drink all the essences
which are for toilet use-compound tine
ture of lavender, for one thing. One
New York woman Of whom know drinks
eight ounces of lavender tineture every
day. This contains so per cent Of alcohol.
They also drink the essence of cinnamon
and cloves A well known physician has
written US that this habit is growing to
an alarming extent among women.
" Peppermint drunkards' are usually
women They are very difficult to cure.
When drunk to excess the peppermint
have the same effect upon
the system as has absinthe- The habit of
light wines among the women OF
the upper classes and of beer drinking
among those of the lower classes is grow
ing They all meet on the common level
of whiskey, however. Radical measures
are needed to check il.
who can contemplate the future with
out a shudder if this and other vices
which undermine and destroy the life
bearing force Of the world are permitted
not only to exist, but every opportunity
and means for developing them receive
the sanction of society and the protection
Of law?"
Mrs. Lake, in an interview, when It
was suggested that her startling state
ments were destined to cause a great stir
In the world Of women and men as well
declared that she had not exaggerated
the conditions in the least; that, If any
thing, the state of affairs was worse. |
The remedy, she thought, lay to a large !
extent in instiling in the young mind |
horror for intoxicants, that conditions |
might be changed in years to come Il |
not now