Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-08
TRY THE LIQUOR CURE
FOrty-Nine Men in "CIass" at
Central Mission.
FREE WHISKY FOR ALL
But It's Mixed With Medicine After
Every Dose.
DIR. McKENNA IN CHARGE
Explains That His System Braces
Up Victims and Enables Them to
Resist Cravings.


| Forty-nine men. each bearing the signs
| of hard drinking in his face and general
demeanor. gathered together by charitable
institutions and officials of the city. met
this morning in the large auditorium Of
the Central Union Mission at 3 o'clock.
They were there 10 begin the treatment
for the cure of the LIQUOR habit TO be adj
ministered to them for the next three
days by Mr.. X. j. McKenna. who has de-
voted twenty-three years of his life TO
the study of inebriety
The class" as il is called, Is composed
principally of the confirmed drinkers Of
the lower sections of the city. men who.
| because of whisky, have abandoned ev-
erything in order that they might salts
| fy their craving and, one of them
put 1t this morning, sink lower, and
| lower, and lower and lower until it all
ends"
They represent many classes of voca-
tons, and some. though doing their best
| TO hide 1t. are known to be connected with
a number OF the Districts best citizens
| either through blood or marriage. one
or two of the class. The Star reporter
was told. were at one time the possessors
of positions of trust, which they either
were forced to give up deserted be-
cause of their affection.
| The first part of the class was sum-
moned last night, when DIR. Mckanna.
| with his assistants, appeared at the mis-
| sion and told those in authority that he
desired to begin treating some of the
patients while they were in "a state of IN
| toxication. Fully twenty of the class
! who make their homes at the mission
| were gathered together in various stages
of drunkenness. and the treatment was
| begun on these Immediately. The re-
| manning twenty-nine We're gathered to-
| gether this morning, and by 10 o'clock the
administration of the treatment was In
| full swing.
| The subjects are permitted to do just
as they please during the hours they are
under the charge of DIR. McKenna. ex-
cept that they must present themselves
! before an improvised apothecary table
located at one end of the room every
hour from 8 am. to pm. where the
| treatment is given them. AS each one
presents himself he is given the option
| of taking drink OF whisky or the medi-
cine, and in this way the beneficial re-
suits are noticed almost Immediately;
Out of the forty-nine men who presented
themselves to undergo the treatment. but
four of them asked for second drink
of whisky during the course OF the morn
ing.
| McKanna. lis to simply rebuild the sys-
tenn through the medium OF proper drugs
and pharmaceutical compounds. and place
the patient in such physical condition
that he can resist the desire to take
drink of whisky and to feel that he no
longer needs this artificial Stimulation
| Braced Up to Resist.
The whisky habit is nothing more or
less than the inability of man TO resist
| taking whisky to brace himself up, ana
this sbracing up is caused by the stimu-
lation of the whisky. In other words, II
the need for stimulation can be eliminated
the cure is effected and only the will
power of the patient is needed TO keep
away from the barroom and remain
| cured.
..The method is referred to as "a three
day cure 1t Is and it is not, If L may
express myself in that way The ilrst
three days CT the course are the DAYS
when the system is placed in condition
where the physical toning OF the pody
can assist the will power of the man and
help him resist taking a drink. The
| treatment is then concluded by the pa
| tent himself during term of thirty days:
| when he takes medicine which Is intended
| to follow up the beneficial results OF tie
! treatment given in the first three days