New-York tribune., 1901-07-14
N AN ALCOHOLIC WARD.
VISIT TO ONE IS \ POWERFUL ARGJ--
MENT AGAINST DRINK


Although people drink to excess in warm
weather" said Or. Waller of Bellevue Hos
pital. cur alcoholic ward was not more crowd
ed than usual during the hot spell. simply be
cause we are always crowded"
The place set aside at Bellevue for peopla suf-
feri2g from alcoholism is rot a ward as it's -ame
would Indicate y small building beyond the
insane pavilion is the place where men are treat
ed. and in anothsr building short distance
away is the place for lady drunks." as the
female 'nchriates are sometimes called ty the
hospital people. The mems alcoholic ward Is ore
large room, with aocomm5 5dattons for twenty
eight patients Uatil short time ago there
was room for each patient. but t5f5 arrange
me1t required much help and men mad with
delirium were likely to hurt themselves # left
alone. The ~alrohocs' ara now all placed in
the large ward. where one physician and two
nurses have The supervision. the Duuiding
where The women are confined the sinSie loom
system stil prevails, and each Lady cas 4
little room furnished with a cot ana chair. Be
tween five THOUSAND and six thousand men and
women are treated in these wards every year
and. according to the reports of the physicars
in charge they come from all parts Of the city
and from every branch Of the community.
The stransest thing about the alcohol.
ward" said nr. Walker. is that more than
class. Men come here who can hardly navirlt,
and ask to be admitted. They have just enough
sense / II 10 know that they are too far gone -
take care Of themselves and they fall in hey.
ana ask To- De- taken care Of Others come in
cabs. and it is no unusual thing to have man
bring his wife or a wife her husband t. b.
cured up We had a physician here the other
day who. after he had become sober. but Mt
auiiCientiy So l. 60 out. worked off his nervous
, ness by walking around tre ward and helpin;
wait the men in the beds There is probably
not a learned profession that has not been rep
resented here this year"
OF the twvnty-eight in the mems ward o-r
day last week fifteen had come to the hospital
Of their own accord, and many of the patients
had been there several times before
+ There is 10 part OF the hospital where there
are so maay changes. The patients are some
times disc oh.rgcd after 4 twenty-four hours
stay. but the average term in the alcoholic
ward is furty-cight hours
/ II it not for the fact that occasionally
one sees patient with his hands tied down -
/ the side Of thr cot in which he has been placed
one would little difference between the
alcoholic and Other wards. The atmosphere -
sweet. and the noises and gIewsome scenes
which are associated with such place are ao-
sent But the distorted faces show the charac-
ter Of the place, and a glimpse along the line
/ is powerful, argument against drink
This young fellow" said the nurse. pointing
to one of the patients. lis of good family.
He has been here before. and brought this
time by his sister. The old man in the next
cot is prof ssioual man. who also brought
here by member OF his family and registered
! as Mr. Smith, and the next To him was
handed over to us by the Police Department
They all treated alike, and. although they
go away from here better. do not pretend
to cure them: that's another thing"
| The women "alcohUlics'' treated like the
men when they are received They are bathed
and their clothes put away, and they receive
garments provided by the institution. The
sight of the men stretched the cots makes
an unpleasant impression. but all visitors agree
that the picture is not rcpulsive that
which sees in the womens department.
This is an opium hend." said the woman
nurse. placing her hand on the form of young
woman who dozing in chair and in the
next room is a who brought here
under the influence of liquor. but she is prnha-
bly, insane"
| The young in the next room did not
wait to be introduced, but said with drunken
| smile. I'm all riSht-Ill he all ready To take
the night boat and go home" y mothery looks
ing woman with white hair stood next t. the
younger woman. She might have been a visitor
to some unfortunate relative. as far as her
face indicated. but her dress showed that she