The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-09-05
ss5aazIIlI'I))Il!E|!lIl
SNo -E@A -
THE CURING OF DRUNKARDS.
DIR. August FOreI Tells His Reasons
for Becoming n Total Alb
stainer.

Some time ago DR.. August Forel was
This is what he replied:
For thirteen years, while at Munich
as Wei as at Zurich, as director of the
insane asylum, l had great number of
alcohol patients, some afflicted with
delirium tremens and others not so Sc
riously afflicted. l had never seen a
single one cured. When the delirium
had passed they all began to drink
again. | felt for long time that there
was a fault somewhere, but I did not
find the remedy. In 1881 drunkard of
the worst type had had four attacks
of delirium in one year, and each time
after recovering he began to drink
again, beating his wife, etc. l pro-
nounced him incurable and advised his
wife to secure a divorce. She took him
to little asylum of the CroiX Bleu at
Bale. Here he was cured and became
the agent of the Croix Bleu at Paris.
He sent me his thanks, not without
irony, for my good care of him. From
that time l understood more and more
that the treatment of alcohol patients
consisting of the desire to bring them
back to moderate drinking, rested
upon profound error. l endeavored
to compel my drunkards to total ah-
stinence, but without the least suc-
cess. / sought total abstinence So
ciety, but found none.
In 1884 a shoemaker in the mel @hbor-
hood of my asylum came to take my
measure for a pair of shoes. He re-
fused the glass of wine that offered
him according to the custom well
known in Switzerland. / discovered
then that he was at the head of a little
temperance society. Delightedly, l
asked him if he would take my drunk
ards into his society. with great
pleasure" he said, "send them all to
me-"
From that day sent him my drunk
ards, with attendants to care for them.
With exemplary patience and devotion
he labored with them and took them
into his society. And then, for the first
time in my life, saw my drunkards
cured-not all, but goodly number.
| had, however, the feebleness to still
await is months observing. / said to
the shoemaker one day: "My dear sir,
for ~ years my drunkards, hitherto
incurable, are being cured. One thing
becomes more and more clear to my
mind, and that is that it is you alone
who cure them and not I. How is this?
1t is truly shame for me, physician
and specialist, paid by the state, to
have patients cured by poor shoe
maker who receives not a cent here
for, and to feel myself incapable of do
ing this
This is, however, very simple" re-
piled the shoemaker, smiling some
what archly. 81 am a total abstainer
and you are not. We make no one a
total abstainer without giving the ex-
ample ourselves"
you are right" I replied. "For a
long time / have felt this to be so, and
l do not understand why l have wait
ed thus. But from tomorrow 1 shall
be a total abstainer."
This was in 1856, at the beginning of
the year, and since then / have re-
manned a total abstainer, and l have
cured hundreds of drunkards with no
further need of the shoemaker. My
shoemaker. Mr.. Bosshart, has become
through my influence the deservedly
honored manager of the asylum for
drunkards at Ellikon.
Until 1892 I still had the weakness
to offer wine to my guests and friends
whilst my wife, my children and my
self were total abstainers, to our great
advantage as regards health and la
Dor. This troubled my conscience, but
/ had not yet the courage to over
come custom. In 1892 my entrance in
to the order of Good Templars relieved
me of my wine and of this painful bur-
den. From that time have felt en-
tirely free and have broken the ties
with lcohol.-Translated from La
Source Organe de rUnion Franchise
by Caroline R. Humphrey, in Union
Signal.
Saloon Coffee.