The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-08-18
HABIT
AMONG WOMEN
Fen ale Drunkards on the In
crease in Many English
Cities.
CLUBS ARE
The Rich Woman Drinks to Pass Away
Time While Her Poorer Sister
INDUCES to Forget Her
Troubles.


social conditions in both the upper and the
lower classes Of society cannot fail to ave
noted Of late a decided Increase In the ad-
diction to alcoholic liquors on the
part of women. Published statistics relat-
ing to the number and ages OF women
convicted OF drunkenness gives one no real
idea of the extent Of the evil for only d
very small fraction of the incorporate fall
into the hands of the police, Moreover,
though a woman does not become drunk
unless she has been Incorporate. she may
easily be highly Incorporate without ever
becoming drunk. 1t is notorious that a
drunken woman is reclaimed only with
the greatest difficulty, for she knows that
she has unsexed herself. The inebriated
woman Injuries her reputation; the intem-
perate woman her health.
There Is no one cause in particular which
will account for this increased and increas-
ing intemperance among women. The
causes are many, and vary with the varl-
Gus conditions of life In which the women
find themselves, The rich woman drinks
to relieve the inevitable ennui Of wealth,
while her poor sister drinks to be rid Of
the mental and physical depression en-
gendered by poverty; the former becomes
Incorporate for lack of occupation, and
the latter for want of recreation. The
moderately well-to-do woman takes slim
ulants to relieve the dull monotony OF
her life. or with the idea of easing the
mental strain inseparable from the cares
of a young family.
I Many women take to secret drinking
the bane Of womanhood-by reason of the
lonely lives they live, to soften the sor-
row which is the lot of so many women,
or to deaden that anxiety about the future
which is SO harassing to the timid minds
of SO many of the weaker sex. 1t Is sure
I ~ ~, ayil ctOp. of tho fiuoap vyhar Tho vary
factory girls. who think lightly of the
present. and still less Of the future, form
what are called spirit clubs" into which
.the girls make small payments to accum-
ulate until Christmas eve, and then to be
spent In spirits, wine and cakes.
Since. however, the factory girls prin-
cipal diet during all the workdays of the
year consists Of picked cabbage and tea.
the craving Of her system for an occas-
ional sumulant Is small matter for Won
der. And, indeed, throughout a large sec
ton of feminine society 1t is an ill-bal-
anced or insufficient dietary that Is at the
bottom of the craving for stimulants.
Even when the diet Is correct. the lonely
woman diner may be driver. by the dys-
pepsia of solitude to stimulate the diges-
tive functions with brandy and water, and
finding benefit from that, may be tempted
to continue the remedy indefinitely, IN
gradually increasing doses.
Increased facilities for drinking are t.
be numbered among the causes of the in
creasing ~intemperance among women
Women travel alone to a far greater eX
tent than was formerly the case; women's
clubs afford every opportunity to those
who wish to indulge in potent liquors
some Of the big stores and mammoth
drapery establishments have licensed re,
freshment rooms; restaurants and railwa,
buffets continue to multiply; while tn,
pastry cook with a wine license Is Yer,
much in evidence in every residential dis
trict. A woman In a good position in If,
may be Incorporate to a degree withou'
ever having recourse to the ordinary. pub
lie house. 1t is not pretended that all tn,
places enumerated above have spirit II
censes. but intemperance in port or sherr!
or even in bottled ale is almost equal.
destructive to health.
Intemperance has d deplorable effect OF
the nervous system OF women. whom l
tends rapidly to degrade morally as wei
as physically, uniting them for thos
duties and responsibilities which should b
the first care OF the women of every race
lntemperance among men Is bad enough
but among women 1t Is a far more seriou
matter. since in their case the future of
race. a kingdom or an empire may be i'm
periled. intemperance among women
incompatible with the welfare OF the chi
dren. who. even If they are unaffected b
a bad heredity, must be affected by ev
parental example. 1t is because of thi
that the drunke mother Is regarded as
curse to her family and a mengce to tn
state: Even the most unprecedented an
tolerant OF moderate drinkers on the MAJ
side look upon q runke woman with
horror and loathing that are almost ir
stinctlve.
Although medical men as a body al
largely, IL Indirectly. responsible for tn
present enormous consumption of whisk
by the laity (they having advised 1t a
being safer than adulterated wines an
doubtful beersl, they can with assuranc
declare themselves In no way responsible
for the Increased consumption of spiri:
by women. For the fayorite "pick-me-up
of the well woman Is a brandy an,
soda, while in the case. of the washerwo
man 1t is q drop Of gin. Medical men