The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-10-09
|. 'a..3A.49.55sB5,62ag}gls;E;; < 4;
~u' w -E=A =
DRINK AND INSANITY.
Almost Every Country Now Recog-
nises the Relation of the Former
TO the Latter.

NINUHIIlU Wl NUE ia Inn AtNf'N-
following suggestive manner: Almost
avery country OF the world Is taking up
the drink question. The authorities
I'M some lands have become seriously
alarmed at the inroads which the IN
bridled consumption of alcohol has
made. and is making into the prosper
tv. health and morals Of their people.
.In France the unrestricted sale OF
alcoholic beverages has already Droushl
forth dire results. Prominent French
Iphvsicians have begun a crusade
AGAINST the drink habit In Russia the
excessive drinking among the peas
Iantrv has impelled the government 10
stem in and take control Of the sale oil
spirituous liquors. Although in Amer
lea drinking has never been 50 common
Iuor carried to such extent as In Europe
Vet even here statistics tell us that there
| has been a decided increase In the CON
sumption of alcohol Great Britain has
always had an unpleasant reputation as
a country whose good people we're ad-
Idicted To strong drink on large scale
and it still, in this respect, maintains
lbs position in the front rank
Dr. Robert Jones, medical superin-
ltendent of Claybury lunatic asylum,
London. published a short time ago
uaper treating of drink with regard TO
the production of insanity. Referring
TO statistics bearing upon this matter he
said. There are probably at the pres
lent time no less than 10000 certified
insane persons in England and Wales
alone. OF whom approximately about
10000 are males and 10000 females.
I'M the unacy commissioners Blue Book
for ENGLAND and Wales be consulted, the
proDortionate percentage Of instances
.iu which alcohol has been assigned as
/ the cause OF insanity to the yearly aver
.aae number admitted into asylums in
the five years. lS95-l9O0 inclusive, is
I2l.S for males and 95 for females-the
proportion is much higher in Scotland
and after allowing for the deaths
Iof those whose form of insanity is
lmora Immediately fatal than those
Icausad by alcohol. there are, 1 believe.
lupon the lowest computation, remain
ling i'm asylums. at the present time, no
less than 10000 males and $500 females
who are mentally decrepit through the
Iefects of alcohol During the time that
1.-The London county councils asylum at
IClaybury has been opened. from 1893 to
the end of 19Ol-a period of less than
nine years. 493 patients have been adj
miued. of whom 2LG per cent. Of the
males and 1876 of the females were def
|nieIy ascertained TO owe their insan-
Iity TO drink, total of over 500 men and
|59l women who were thus rendered in
capable of productive work through
their own acts For the whole OF Lon
don. during the period Of 1S93-l9Ol,
662 men and 1,677 women were re
ceiyed into asylums who owed their in
sanity to alcoholic intemperance." ."
Chronic alcoholism, according to Dr
Jones. implies an altered nutrition OF
all the tissues. particularly parenehy-
matous elements and epithelium. such
as that of the blood-vessels, causing
thickening and ultimately fbroid
changes. II has been stated to be one
of the special causes Of dementia para
llyiica. II certainly is one of the mos
important elements in the strain which
Ipredisposes to this breakdown, and it Il
a most fertile source Of nervous disease
The degeneration of the tissues conse
quent upon the altered nutrition is Sc
general and far-reaching that the re
sulting symptoms are of a most proteaI
nature. Attempts have been made t'
dlnerentate these according 10 the par
Hcular form Of alcohol taken, such a
wines. beers. spirits. liquors, etc. bu
the distinction Is less psychlcal thar
I physical. and the symptoms consist II
the greater frequency Of conyulsive dis
charges from such as absinthe. OF anal
eosia from wines. and of hyperalgesii
from essences. The liver OF the spiri
drlnker is familiar. as also the gros
fatty changes in beer-drinkers.
The writer points out many differen
b considerations presenting themselves i
b regard to symptoms. such as: O) tn
diathesis. idiosyncrasy, OF the inherit
ance of The individual An inherltanc
d of insanity is found in about 33 pc
{ cent of all such cases admitted int
b asvlums. Persons Of neurotic Inherit
b ance are predisposod TO the incidence {
]. delirium. small doses Of alcohol giyin
b rise TO marked unsteadiness and othe
b functional disturbances; in others tn
- nervous system almost entirely escape
@ and the stress IS left upon the liver an
IS kidneys. 90 Sex appears to have
D marked influence. for although alcohol
J. indulgence is most common among mel
3. women recidivists are more common an
u less durable. CD Elimination is a pc
u sonal factor dependent upon the acti'
y fly of the various excretory organs, sue
J, as the skin. Kidneys, lungs, etc, In ar
b. particular individual. (D Exercise a.
's pears also % influence the symptoms.
ls life I'm the open air favors toleranc
be- Both men and women of sedentary ha
D. its suffer IN comparison to the mo
if active. and the more frequent inciden
.e Of peripheral neuritis in women is pro
~ ably due TO their indoor life. 90 Age
l. a modifying factor. The period
r. greatest incidence to the pernicious
10 fects OF alcohol corresponds closely wi
O. that upon which falls the greatest me
lt tal strain. Males between 25 and
al and those between IS and 40 appear
- be. according to Bevan Lewis, more 81
eDuble to alcohol than those OF an
lther age. The former is a period p'
uliarly characterized by intellectui
.. ldyance. and one during which the hat
,n It's tend TO become independent an
,o ixed: the other is an epoch durin
which the struggle for existence make
itself felt in the fullest force, and It
also an age during which. as Lew
be- points out, the feeble and Indifferent o.
ai ronferne often feel the want of aruncl'