New-York tribune., 1907-12-01
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ALCOHOLISM.
Some Instances Brought to Mind by Notice
of DR.. Cutten's Book.

Sir. In a recent number of The lriouhe
have notice of Dr. George T. Cut'en
The Psychology of Alcoholism III "niC"
YOU say "he boldly defends the thesis 'ia4
ra,iv;ous conversion we have the most ehiO
cious cure of alcoholism ,,ut
would not deny this general propo'
M. oun observation leads me to oelleVe 'n g. -
-, bi,h arouses in person the dorid"'
will often works cure. perhaps an apP a,
~, coincidence and an arousing OF the noiai
faculties such as usually precedes OF aoOo ,
NAMES a conversion to an acti'e anu - .his
interest in religion. is more likely 10 piou =,
STRENGTHENING of the will thah aiiS lv
euence It is however. by no means INC -
- , ,.,.e known in my time a number OF re-
coveries from Incorporate habits. some VI -
were the Immediate effect OF a"ahoA
feeling but others Of which were ho'' i
One of the most striking cases IN my 20
.,oa r,ss that of a man of humble blrtn anu ~
great natural endowments' under anoa NO
cun,stances he would have probably reaohet ~
higher position than that Of an ORDINARY .
H. had a considerable sense of humor anu
was ready of speech. When hfst hh .
be was thfrty-fve to forty years OF age anu
e-oa drrnkard He had wife a haro
u,orkine and respectable woman VINO sup
ported herself and probably parity suppo' ''r
him He was good natured. ana SO iai "
know never abused her. They had no cuiiOi
ue did lust work enough in the way of smab
lobs about houses and some plain garden worn
IN ,neet the necessary demands of his appeute
and for The rest of the time he could De seen
sitting about some public place IN d s'&I'e u
n,audlin half int oxication. frequently carrying q"
conversation with some neighbor In his own
condition and in which there could sometimes 'e
coon CLEANS of considerable humor. He never
wen; inside church. but used to say in his Jocose
wav You know my wifes a member o IN meet
in house
When he was about fifty something or Some
hodv induced him to attend =" ashingtoiiiah
hat stopped
He lived TWENTY-FIVE years after that lie prop
ably worked days in week ana dlo pe''ei
work For long time In his later years ne "aS @
a grave digger but the general tenor of his
life with the exception OF drinking "dS JUS
what IT had been. He never went TO church' ne
never did anything different from his old NE
in any respect. except that he drank no more
alcohol I'm any form to the day he died
knew another of a higher type inter
IectualIv than the one last described, and some
thing of a mechanic, who by the time he "d'
Twenty-Five had become apparently hopeleS9
dr1nkard He had inherited a small properly an"
as he was skilled workman he could Gsua'iS
find employment. but his habits were fast Iin
pairing his usefulness and It was clear 'i'a' "e
would soon waste his patrimony.
He was aroused in a revival. became a chuFcH
member ceased drinking and became isefu
and successful citizen 1 have heard that "heh
he became rather an elderly man his habit TO
some extent returned upon him. but ne oieu
before it had broken him down
knew a woman lady both ny birth. educa-
.Ion culture and social position. who succuTnoed
n tho opium. habit She had a husband. most
worthy and anectonate man. and several ch''-
dren who grown and doing weA' uhefr
was so far as l know. nothing in the way OF
reason or excuse. but II evident to all her
friends that she fast running herself mentally
and bodily All at once she stopped never
knew what influence was brought TO pear OH
her. think her husband. her physician and
her clergyman had exhausted their resources WITH
out avail She was. throughout her experience
more than ordinarily religious woman In all
external observances She lived good many
wears after this experience. a life OF dignity ana
propriety i'm all respects
A son Of this woman. we'll educated. carefully
trained superior business man and an ardent
churchman took drinking when he was about
forty and came running himself. when he
ceased as suddenly he had begun. and there
after lived perfectly sober life He was rather
rigid perSen in his theological or archaeological
views and these never IN any way cnaiiseo ourii's
this experience
have not read DR. Cuttens book. although
intend 70 do so but I thought I would make
this contribution the psychology OF the sub
,ect in which I greatly interested
There is another question Of a physio-psy-
cho,ogical nature in regard 10 alcoholism IN which
have been greatly interested and In regard
70 which I have never yet obtained any light.
although I have frequently talked about IL with
experts
II is why some persons when they have taken
a glass of spirits possessed with wholly
uncomfortable thirst for more. while Others have
no trouble Of this sort and desire only what sat
ishes them for the moment. as would be the
case ~ II were kind of food II
We knew Of persons who when they tasted food
could not stop eating until they stuffed them
selves to repetion 1t would az least be parallel
case although not an explanation but as It is
HELP WANTED.