The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-12

cohol is a smmptom of some disorder instead of the cause.
 Dr. Brothers describes in general terms two forms of inebriate insanity. One is found in the periodic drinker, who drinks to excess for a short period and then abstains. This drink period is practically an acute mania, an in- sane impulse, which resists all efforts of control. It Is often preceded by in- sonnia, headaches and great irrita- bility. Such persons drink both secret ly and openly, and act like insane per- sons. It resembles epilepsy in its sud- den conyulsive onset, and inability to break up or control' except by the harshest measures, In many cases. ' there are distinct premonitions of the drink storm, in conduct. reasoning and appearance, which the victim does not ! realize. In others there seems to be a | full consciousness of its coming with 1 extraordinary care and preparations to make the attack as light as possible l with little pecuniary loss.
 Such patients, says Dr. Brothers, make elaborate preparations in busi- ! ness affairs, providing for their absence ] explaining that they expect to be away on business. Many persons suffering in this way are influential and are bur l dened with cares and responsibilities. They suddenly disappear from their business, secreting themselves in some out-of- thte-way place, drinking to l great excess for a few days or weeks, | then returning. These concealed drink ] storms are very common among busi- 1 ness and professional men. Not infre- uuently, there is a remarkable perio- l dicity in the return of the drink im- pulse. In one instance, the free inter- val was exactly 91 days, and the drink
 storm, days. In another the interval
 was 21O days and the length of the
 storm, about 5 days. IA number of per
 sons never drink, except during the
 holidays, others use spirits only on the
 Fourth of July, or on birthdays.
 Cases have been noted where per
 sons drank for two or more months
 then aJbstained for five years, relapsinG
 again as before. Another large class O
 pa tients are secret midnight drinkers
 who never drink at any other time Often the drink paroxysm brings ou
 different personality, the patien
 while drinking is an entirely differen
 character in reasoning and conduct Certain atmospheric and electrica
 conditions seem to be active in pre-
 ciptatlng the drink attacks, One maj
 only drinks at the seashore, another ol high elevations. One drinks in certail
 climates, and seasons of the year, an
 at no other time. Many persons drinl
 heavily in large cities, and strict ah
 stalners elsewhere. These cases al
 have marked heredity from neuroti
 parents, and most of them show defect
 and irregularities of nutrition, absenc of proper sleep, and strains and drain!
 Pneumonia, apoplexy, consumption
 and paralysis are the common termina
 tions.
 Dr. Brothers finds his other form (
 insanity in the constnt drinker, wh
 daily drinks in so-called moderation and because he is not incapaeitated (
 seems not to be changed in feeling (
 degree of comfort believes that he
 actually benefited. In the opinion {
 pr. Brothers these regular drinkers al
 the most defective of all inebrlates an
 the most positively insane, in a gener'
 sense. Tests show" he says, that u
 action of alcohol is accumulated, ar
 both the brain and nervous system al /. permanently deranged The fir ,l prominent indication is the delusion ., health and vigor. and the harmlessne ~ of alcohol. A degree of exaltation al egotism with confidence and ability s stop at all times and places is preser " Another symptom Is the lowered mo 'e ale of the person. The consciousness .u right and wrong, duty. obligation F others, becomes more feeble, and wi n this the Judgment and reasoning, al III the senses become defective and pc 0l vertod. Accurate studies and measur le ments show that the steady drink 'o has always delusions and hallucin ,Hh H tions, with degrees of dementia, whi e- he covers up, and can only be seen 'e his intimate friends and associat ol All such persons suffer from chror u poison and starvation
 Whether or not the medical proft ae sion will agree with all of Dr. Crothe SS opinions, it Is to be hoped that he h he at least stimulated the profession to IT. renewed study of the medical aspet ce If inebriety. It is certain that [ a present knowledge of the subject a oi the present methods of treatment z i- not producing results and 1t may be, lVt Dr. Brothers says, that we have be III all this time wrongly regarding alcol ie as the cause of q condition Instead IS it's use being the result of conditit It. Here certainly is question for 're doctors to settle, Springfield Union, " SOIL MAKING.
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