Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-12-24
PHYSICIAN AND ALCOHOL.
cases In Which Patients Have Been
Wrecked Through the Prescrib-
ing of Alcoholic Liquors.

oenS tne Important question: DO phyS1-
clans prescribe alcohol unduly? All
thoughtful people are, l think, ask
Ing themselves the same question. Ii
has recently been charged in the Lon
don Graphic, by woman, that doctors
nave brought many of her sex to ruin
through drink, by constantly recon-
mendlng to them the medicinal use of
spirits Commenting on this, the Hos
pital says: adults of sane mind are
accountable for their own actions. and
we protest against the growing habit
Oh saoolng other persons with response
oillty for their misdeeds on the slight
est possible pretext. Women who drink
WHISKY to excess cannot for a moment
De permitted to excuse themselves by
advancing the utterly absurd and futile
plea, the doctor recommended its use Z"
is this plea utterly absurd? l myself
peheVe that many women acquire the
deadly habit in that way, says Hattie
Iyng Griswold, in Unity. Let me state
put one case, although it is not an
isolated one.
1t came under my own observation.
but the details were given me by close
rled at IL years of age, innocent. igno-
rant, rather delicate, but healthy, and
mad child the first year. which she was
unable to nourish sufficiently in the reg
ular manner. Her doctor prescribed
peer for her, and she began taking 1t.
vainly hoping to increase the flow OF
milk. She was i'll for long time and
was told to continue the beer, and other
stlmulants were given her In the most
natural way in the world she began
10 ike 1t, and grew to depend upon ii
LOT a false strength. No harm was
thought of it by her friends. as many OF
them had tried the same prescription
Ihis young woman gave berth to seven
children in ten years. and nursed them
ali, or tried to, on beer, egg nog with
whisky, and such things as nurses as well
as doctors are fond OF recommending to
young mothers. All but one Of the chill
dren died in early childhood. and the
mother became an invalid who had ac-
Quired a love for strong drink. She
alone was regarded as blameworthy.
was divorced and disgraced, and died
or broken heart. Now, was the doc
TOR or the young woman to be blamed?
She had no experience Of the world, did
not dream that the passion for slim
ulants could be created by innocently
drinking beer under Doctors direc-
tom, and met with no remonstrance
from husband or mother The doctor
knew the facts. and had dealt with un-
comfortable appetites many times, and
seen many men and women ruined by the
medicine he prescribed. He was q man
OF mature judgment; she was a child.
Which one was to blame?
In England. far more women are in
temperate than in America, and hospi-
tails for their cure are common there,
aud l more than suspect that the doc
tors do prescribe 1t unduly. In Amer
lea. am sure they do. and could mar
rate many instances Of deadly harm
which came to ignorant or thoughtless
patients through their prescriptions. l
will ask space for but one. A young
man during an attack Of typhoid fever
was cared for by his sister, away from
home, among strangers. When the pa
uent was convalescing, the doctor d.
rected her TO give him certain amount
OF whisky every day, and she complied.
The illness was long one; there was
relapse and very slow return to
health. The man was well at last. but
with a taste for stimulants which has
been the curse of his life and that of his
family. The sister has been almost as
unhappy as the man himself, and la
ments her ignorance to this day. Was
the young man to blame, or the sister?
Or was the doctor, who knew all about
the ease with which the mad desire for
alcohol may be acquired by either a man
or a woman? The writer in The Hos
pital says. further: Even If, however,
it were the practice of the profession to
constantly recommend women to take
small quantity of whisky with their
food for the benefit of their health, we
deny that anyone would be justified
in ascribing to them the ruin Of their
patients" 1t seems that in England
doctors are accused of prescribing alco-
hol unduly, and it is a well-known fact
that intemperance is already a great
evil there among women, and that il
is said to be increasing rapidly. 1t is
my opinion that one might be justified
in placing blame upon physicians if they
do constantly recommend alcohol, in
however small quantities. to be taken
by their patients with their food.
Drink among women is comparatively
a new problem in America. The great
influx of foreigners has brought the
problem, and no thoughtful person can
ignore it. Already. in Chicago, the
mayor has been forced to forbid their
drinking at public bars, and to make
radical orders about women's en-
frances to saloons. OF course from time
immemorial a certain class OF disreputa-
BILE women have sustained themselves
by hard drinking; but the evil now is
threatening all classes, and insidiously
undermining the foundations of moral
ity and religion in our land
In certain districts in France, drinking
among women has become so common
and so excessive that one grave scientist
expresses the fear that alcohol will in
time destroy the race. Is it not time
that very strong and united protest
should go up in this country against this