The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18


WAsHINJToN, Nov. H. The Earth
quake as a Rum Cure that will be the
name Of a little treatise | shall write one
4 these days, ~hen [ get the time said
an army surgeon recently transferred from
san Francisco to duty here.
He was serving at one OF the San Francisco
military posts at the time of the earth
make, and when the destroyed city was
turned into Il camp he was one OF the detei
of army surgeons assigned 20 cooperate
with the health authorities in attending
the sick.
I'D hate to say for fear OF being accused
NJ eNsggerstion. he went on. how many
mute hopeless San Francisco soaks were
shaken out OF the rum habit by the earth
uua ke and fire aud by the long period Of
enforced abstinence hat followed. The
destruction Of a city by earthquake and
lire IL a pretty heroic method Of curing
rum fighters, and I'm not maintaining
that it was meant that way. Rut | am
here to say that il worked out that way In
hundreds Of instances that came under my
own observation. &
After the earthquake the sale OF run,
was shut on tight.
The hard drinkers who were caught In
the rumless trap by the hutdow went
through q black time Of it.
San Francisco always was a hard drink
ing town, There's something in the climate
out there hat makes drink taste pretty
good.
There we're thousands whom the sudden
deprivation of liquor hit hard. They'd
been drinking inordinately for years. most
If them, and when the hour came which
gave them no possible Chance to get even
a sip of liquor how they did curl up and
heat the air!
The poor devils assuredly suffered hor-
ribly. The hundreds OF waterfront wrecks
who were on the verge OF delirium tremens
had an especially vicious siege OF IL. I
never saw or heard OF so nan human
beings walking aimlessiy around with the
d. It's in my life. They moaned. howled,
begged. pleaded and implored for liquor.
but there wasn't any chance for them to
get any.
For more than a week hundreds OF men
we're little less than wild men, and the
soldiers had all they could do to handle
them. These men could not at first be put
TO work with the rest OF the men. They
we're too weak.
They couldn't eat or sleep. but just
tossed around and groaned. Bnomides
and quieting drains were served out TO the
worst GASES. But the open air and the
positive necessities Of the situation began
10 bring them around after the first three
or four days.
They began to eat a bit. The coffee and
thu rough fare Of the amp helped them.
They got their share Of the tobacco served
out 70 all bands, and that put a bit OF spirit
Just as soon as It was perceived that
they were at to work they were put at il
at the point OF the bayonet. They worked
and the work was the great thing FOR them.
The labor drove the liquor out OF their
hundreds Of 'em hadn't been hungry for
food or for anything else but rum for years
TT made them sleep. The chill air,
been hanging around the foul back rooms
OF groggeries most Of their time.
1T was positively bully 70 see the way
those chaps came aroun once the first
misery OF their condition wore OF and
they got to leading the normal life. They
flied out, became husky and strong.
1T was astonishing to note What really
good looking fellows many of these fellows
became under the Influence OF abstlnenoe
from rum, hard work, coarse but whole
some food and clean living. And the thing
surprised them as muc as IL did those Of
us who were merely studying the situation.
me to flag the booze thing, even after
they begin peddling 1t again was a re-
mark I overh card among them a dozen
times q day. II l felt any better l couldn
stand il. Haven felt like this since
was a kid. Didn't believe l ever would
feel so chesty and bully again No more
sThe men OF the better element who
we're caught in the midst OF heavy con-
tinuous drinking by the rum drought were
surprised and delighted, too, to find 0
vigorous and clear headed and generally
fine they felt without their constant nips.
Dozens OF these men came to me in the
eaiy stages Of their deprivation for quiet
ing things that would enable them TO get
a bit OF sleep, and they looked pretty hope
less and down in the mouth at this stage
Of il. They looked and acted very dif-
ferent, though, after a fortnight or so,
and the wav most OF them threw verbal
rocks at the Demon Rum was a caution.
out OF curiosity, when the saloons re-
mmed business early in July, / kept an eye
on a large number OF these fellows OF all
classes, whose cases had come under my
own observation, to note II they would
stick. Ninety-five per cent. OF those l
watched stuck.
"A large number Of other medical men
kept an eye on the sit alton after the re-
opening OF the saloons, just as ! did, and
their observations conceded with mine.
The great bulk OF the chronic rum fighters
Of the ante-earthquake period chung 70 the
water wagon when the rum ban was lifted
and are on board OF Il yet. working amid
the ruins, most OF them. and giving them
selves the chance In life that they deserve, !
l honestly believe.
Take Il altogether | believe this was the
biggest sober ng. up incident In history. !
Any other way OF accomplishing the same
result would have been impossible.
They sobered up at the point Of the bayo-
net. But they got sober, all right, and you
may take Il from me that the main element
in any kin OF a workable rum cure Is to get
all the stun out OF the victims systems
Drugs Won't do that. nor all the coddling
and nursing and pampering in the world.
The thing OF sticking a victim OF alco-
hOlism In o hospital ward for three or four
days and then turning him loose on So
ciety is a lamentable and q sorry farce.
II doesn't do the trick and never will do It,
AN absolute cutting on OF the stun, hard
work when they're up 70 II, the open air,
plain food-that's the ticket. That treat
Inent will nx up those who are worth while.
The others don't count.
'Im not exactly ready yet to hold that
all the confirmed rum fighters should be
driven into Immense municipal stockades
by the authorities and forced to live for a
faN monkha under the conditional which |