The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-11-15
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DRINK SETS THE MIND WRONG.
Philadelphia Physicians Do Not Agree
With Or. crothers.

''The alcoholic is Insane because he
drinks; the dipsomanlac drinks be.
cause he Is insane" With this quo
tation from the works OF a French
scientists treatise on alcoholism sew
eral Philadelphia physicians express
their disagreement with the views on
DIR. T. ID. Crothers. the superintendent
OF the Walnut Lodge hospital. Hart
ford. Conn. given at the meeting OF
the British Medical association In To.
ronto. says the Philadelphia Record.
Or. Crothers maintains that all men
who crave alcohol are insane. and even
goes so far as TO intimate that the FIRST
drink Is taken because OF n diseased
condition OF the brain. "Inebriety." he
said. rs In reality disorder OF the
brain OF which alcohol Is not tho cause
but rather n remedy. Il Is a definite
disease. with distinct causes. progress
and termination.
1T Is true that many victims OF al
coholism are insane. and even when a
man Is on his first jag he Is the vic
tim OF a MANIA" said prominent
local neuropath the other afternoon
(which. unlike Dr. Croihegs. | believe
Is the result and not the cause OF
taking the drink An abnormal act
Is the product OF an abnormal mind.
and when a man takes drink II does
not Indicate that he has any mental
abnormali,y. When a man Is blue
or downcast he seeks 20 drown HIS
grief. These are not symptoms Of n
doranged mind. but rather OF a nor
NAL mind and the desire to drink, as
general thing. under such circum-
stances. is merely normal.
AS time goes on. however. Alcohol
has three marked effects. There Will
be a hardening OF certain organs OF
the body. the blood vessels and nerves
WIFI undergo a change In structure.
and there Is a fattening tendency. As
these three 90 on there Is new nerve
Gus system and a new temperament
built up. which often results In De.
mentia. The mania is the result. aud
not the cause.
"The dlpsomaniac e. the man who
goes on a periodical jag For a long
time he is able 10 refrain from alec.
hol. but there is always a recurring
period when the desire springs up
anew and he must satisfy q. In his
sober moments he has absolutely no
desire for drink. but when the drink
storm Is approaching nc can nght
as hard as he pleascs. but Is unable
20 overcome the desire for a debauch
which will last for Eve or six days.
maybe week. This desire Is I'M
doubtedly one symptom Of a diseased
mind. and. had DR. crothers confined
himself 10 this. he would have been
justified In his contentious"
At a large uptown hospital where
number OF inebrlaies are sent for
treatment. questions about DR. Croth-
ers theory were met with smiles.
"Dr. Crothers may be rlsht," said
one OF the physicians. "and he de-
serves credit for the ingenious way
In which he has put forth his views.
The periodical drunkard IS undoubted-
" the victim OF derangee mind. but
the alcoholic Is insane because he
drinks. Numerous examinations OF
brains OF drunkards have been made
and when compared with those OF the
Insane there has been a wonderful
similarity. The brain OF the normal
man who takes an occasional drink
the one DR.. Crothers would brand as
lnsano-is entirely different from the
maniac's brain. This In itself should
be sufficient proof Of the wrong deduc-
tons drawn by the doctor"
The theory OF DR.. crothers Is not
new and has been advanced In various
forms by individual physicians from
time to time. Not long ago a novel
was published written by Or. William
Lee Howard. a neuropath. In which he
voiced the sentiments expressed by
DIR. Crothers and told in ictioni form
Of the trials undergone by a victim
OF dlpsomania: but even DIR. Howard
did not 20 so far az 70 intimate that
the first desire for drink comes from
a diseased mind.