The Washington herald., 1907-05-09
FROM WOMAN'S
POINT OF VIEW.

Fancy a reputable physician upholding
the habit Of tippliag. and advocating the
constant use Of intoxlcants! It Is mon
strous. in view OF the misery left in the
wake Of drunkards, and she crime COM
mitted when the brain is SO stupehed as
to be incapable OF comprehending right
and wrong. Isn't it about time TO ask
such an advocate for cold facts to sus
tain his statement?
In rare cases physicians insist upon
stimulants OF this kind for very sick pa
tients. but IN the majority Of cases other
medicines will do quite as well. A great
many cases Of physical and mental ruin
can be traced to the careless orders Of
doctors for liquors and drugs-cases Of
weak viii. susceptible as weather vane.
No harm was dreamed of when the pre-
scription was made out, and probably no
knowledge of the ruin ever came TO the
medical adviser. I know Of one case,
however, where a Doctors career was
spoiled by an error Of this sort.
lie was a bachelor of middle life and
his patient was a young woman for
whom he had a sincere affection. She
was pretty and talented. and so popular
that her health suffered from the strain OF
too much amusement. Her medical friend
prescribed for her preparation contain
ing morphine. and Il was her first ac-
quaintance with the drug. 1t must have
had varying effects, for she had no
nausea and no dreadful feeling in the
head, which are my impressions OF the
stuff On the contrary, she declared the
sensation TO be delightful, and her re
covery from sickness sent her TO a slavery
that was lasting
She lost her beauty, her charm. and her
pride, and finally reached the point
where confinement was necessary. The
doctor made heroic efforts to cure her
and failed. but he had hopes OF the value
Of seclusion in place where the drug
could not be obtained In time the girl
was pronounced cured and sent home,
only to fall back into the habit Three
times she returned 70 the institution, the
last time in a hopeless condition. l do
not know if she Is living now. but II she
is. IL is in a state bordering on imbeeility.
The physic' an was heart5roken over his
part in the tragedy, and from a condition
Of popularity he drifted into the life OF a
recluse. He Is living, I believe, lonely
man. with nothing 20 look forward 70 but
the inevitable end Of life. He happened
10 have an interest in the patient, other
wise he would have regarded the matter
as a deplorable ending 10 weli-meant
medical advice
There is too much danger in drugs and
/ llouors 10 permit them 70 be recommend
ed indiscriminately. I have known OF
numberless cases Of clever men living
/ shiftless lives because they could not let
/ intoxicants alone When under their in
/ fuence these poor creatures were no good
I 70 anybody and were turned adTiti
4 through sheer disgust on the part OF
/ those who expected better things from
them. They had neither money nor
/ friends. and they deserved neither. II is
/ the rankest folly for a woman 10 give
I her future into the keeping Of a man
who is mastered By liquor, for she is
I bound TO have an intimate acquaintance
with about every brand Of misery. She
will know humiliation, want. sorrow. ano
possibly physical pain for blows are
usually a feature OF the fate Of a drunk
ards wife. A hard life TO choose with
I open eyes,
BETTY BRADEEN.