Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-03-19
PREVENTION OF INEBRIErY.
Enorts which Are BEING Put Forth
to Destroy the Awful Work
OF Intemperance

The most advanced work in scientific
medicine is the discovery of the causes
OIL the disease. and by their removal
absolute prevention is obtained. The
disappearance Of yellow fever in Ha-
Vana, following the discovery of the
germ and its transmission by the mos
quito, is a striking illustration. Can
inebriety be prevented, from the dis
covery and removal OF the causes. is q
question for which an answer has been
sought from the earliest times. The
widely varying efforts to stop the sale
OF spirits and punish the person who
drank Is an attempt to answer this
question. The possibility of determin-
Ing many of the causes, and their re-
moval, and thus preventing the dis
ease. is established beyond question.
The tremendous efforts to bring about
prohibition by banishing the saloons
and stopping the sale Of spirits as
beverages Is an effort to remove causes
which are supposed to be active in the
formation OF inebriety. The legal ef-
torts to suppress drunkenness by fine
and Imprisonment is based on the the
DRY that the causes are the willfulness
OF the victim and his reckless disre-
gard or the interests of others as well
as himself. Moral suasion by the
pledge, prayer, and solicitation, as
sumes that the victim is a sinner in
the need OF conversion and change Of
heart, and when this is accomplished
the causes Of disease are removed
Another most remarkable effort to pre-
vent inebriety is the legal enactments
requiring physiology and hygiene to
De taught in the public schools, and
the dangers from the use of alcohol
made prominent part of the study.
The causes here are assumed to be
ignorance and the prevalence of false
theories In regard to the nature of al
cohol. By teaching exact facts con-
corning the danger from alcohol tuis
ignorance will be removed and preven-
uon will follow. Another effort in the
line OF prevention is the medical study
OF fnebriety as disease, and its treat
ment in asylums This is based on the
theory that the desire for alcohol
comes from diseased nervous system,
and exhausted brain: also that these
causes are both active and predispos-
Ing to various forms OF insanity end
ing in death. It is claimed that the
study OF the causes and conditions
which develop into inebriety. by the
medical profession, is the most efrec-
i've means to secure prevention. Thus
both the medical profession and the
public through societies and reform
movements, religious efforts. legal and
otherwise, recognize the theory that
inebriety is preventable and can be
stopped and finally broken up the same
as other diseases The causes are I'M
doubtedly far more complex than any
one OF these efforts at prevention
would indicate. Studies along the sci
entific lines by physicians have already
pointed out some of these complex
causes. Thus In certain persons there
is inherited highly unstable nervous
organizations with certain tendencies.
which develop into inebriety both with
and without temptation.
There are other persons in whom
digestive troubles and various tox-
aemic states merge into inebriety. and
also persons who live In centers of ex-
element in which the brain and nerv-
Gus system is under constant strain
Here spirits, narcotics and drugs cover
up the exhaustion and disease and
bring grateful relief In most cases
where spirits are used, there are two
present: one OF favorable
soils, such as heredity and exhaustive
brain, and lowered vitality, and the
other the toxaemias which are intro
duced with alcohol, and grow with a..
use. The prevention depends on a
knowledge OF these causes and thar
The prevention OF insanity is
recognized possibility.
moral measures are neinE nreed 70
prevent marriage with an;Ian,,cs
diots and insane. and Ans ston the
,rowth OF detectives fro n, which ,nssn-
" commonly springs. RrealT;ng nm
nd nbno, Oh paupe nism, bad mental
,oyas az ia, sutrou ndings. actually re-
rou,,h - sui LOT the cultivation and
tt;on, .ty. These same con-
rodnn,n ses are prominent in
rates na ebriety. Thus hysteric
n torar,, ole mental conditions, are
? ,nah.;s .ners and early signal flags
Iract;o, lcy and insanity. This is the
,.,on 4 towards the discovery OF vast
hi, OF causes, the removal OF
ON will be followed by the proven
of inebriety.-Journal of Inebrity.