The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-14

that, should temptation arise, 1t will be slight
and bis will power will be greater than II. l
condemn his habit and that, therefore,. his
will must rouse itself In order to carry on
the commands OF his higher nature.
Should the patient be exposed to exception
al temptation, I suggest that be will associate
the thought Of drinking alcohol with q sense
OF pausea, that splrita will make him vomit.
II the patient complains of feelings or de-
preston, especially In the morning, ! suggest
10 him that he will have no more desire 10
drink in the morning, because he will tnen
feel strong and not depressed. I am in the
habit of causing the patient 10 turn my sue-
gestion into an auto-suggestioD; that Is, when
I say: sYou will drink no more alcohol" l
ask him TO make a VOW TO himself, u VIII
drink no more alcohol" II Is by this means
cured and his will power developed. In
other words II is not 1 that euppose the H.
hloition against albohol; 1t is he himself who
does It.
Thus, in suggestion, one substitutes q new
emotional complex for an old one, and the
new complex results in altered conduct, In
some way not yet explained by science. these
suggestions are accepted by the subconscious
element In the mind and lead to correspond
Ing mental and physiological reactions. My
experience convinces me that hypnotic sug-
| R6SllOQ Is Ol ulblluCC NdIuc no q nOiP v u
moral reform Of the %drunkard, because 1t
breaks the power OF the habit and gives a
chance for more distinctly ethical forces 10
work. 1t would, however, be flljudged to
expect from 1t more than 1t can do. Oft
self, 1t can do something's; but for the best re-
suits, Its power requires to be supplemented
by other agencies.
THE APPEAL TO
Moral aud Religious. Medical science
acknowledges to-day the power OF The re-
DI. T. N. Kelynack acknowledges 1.-THE In.
calculable assistance which the wise worker
and unprejudiced physician may attain by
bringing to bear on the whole life OF the pa.
tient that Power, the majesty and mystery,
the consolation and inspiration OF which IL is
the mission Of religion TO reveal Hence we
appeal to the moral and religious instincts OF
the sufferer. We teach the power and bless
Ing of PRAYER, OF freQuenting the company OF
moral and religious people, and Gf avoiding
Temptations 10 seli-indulgence.. Under this
head would also come the providing OF good
scien tihc literature dealing with th- mental
social, and physiological effects Of alcohol.
Finally, personal. visitation In the homes
OF the patients and efforts 10 make their en-
vironment, as far as possible, favorable to a
permanent cure, are OF the greatest value.
In order 10 do this the more effectively, we
have, In connection with our work, a social
service department, In which q number OF
aides and gentlemen personally 1nterest
themselves in our afflicted charges. The
activity of the social worker Ia as important,
10 say the least OF 1t. as that OF either the
doctor or the clegyman. Hence 1t will BIZ
seen that we try TO combine the forces of the
physician, the psychologist, the minister OF
religion, and the social worker, and In doing
so we have, l think. supplemented the Sc
ious defects OF the asylums and homes for
drunkards, where, as q rule. no systematic
psychic or religious treatment is ever admin
istcred, and where no attempt at the after
care of discharged patients Is made.
Let me now describe briefly a few OF the
cases which I have treated:
The first is that of a man OF forty-tWo, an
iron molder by trade. whom we will call
John Brown. SO far as could be discovered,
there was no alcoholic tendency In his family.
John Brown has been a steady drinker, with
occasional bouts OF extreme drunkenness,
was a very simple one. He drank as long as
there was any money in his pocket, and for
more glasses of whiskey and beer daily. In a
whrd. he was rarely, II ever, quite sober.
Owing TO hio intemperance, be has been fire.
quently out OF employment. causing great
distress in the home.
One Sunday morning after servece, he was
brought to me by q lady, who modestly re-
quested that he should be cured OF bis
drunkenness forthwith. John Brown pre-
sented a very unprepossessip g appearance.
He was tll-clad, dirty, unshaven, but, for the
moment, free from the influence of liquor.
o NOTABLE CASES.
NV first interview with him was on October
10, 1907, and from then until July 81, 1908. he
was q total abstatner. He became a member
OF q Catholic temperance club, and, in spite
of occasional want OF employment and pro-
found disbursement, he remained true to
| his principles till the date named, when he
had q relapse. This fall was caused by the
severity Of bis struggle for a living: During
the summer months he was engaged In ped
ding fruit, vegetables. etc., but the horse
which assisted him In his daily rounds was
very ancient, so ancient Indeed that passers-
H., flt 4 thntr At,fu 10 TooHn ~ ~ NrOtfu n n
lusions 10 both the horse and It's owner; but,
as In the story OF the boys and the frogs. what
was fun to the loOkers-on was anything but
fun TO John Brown, and so he fell back on bis
favorite stimulant for about five days. Our
socia,-.ervice department then fitted him out
with a new horse, treatment was resumed,
and he started In again with new hope.
From that time TO the present be has re-
NAMED absolutely sober. He is repayipg the
money spent for the horse, his wife and
children are we'll clothed and happy, and
peace reigus within the home. In all, he has
beeuu treated thirty-seven times. and there
Is every ground for hoping that his cure may
be permanent.
The next case ia that offs woman, whom We
will call Mary Robinson. She Is q cook, and
there seems TO be something In her employ
ment which especially Induces 10 overiudul-
gence In spirituous drinks. Mary Robinson
has been q driuker ever since she can rt-
member though she will not admit that she
had ever been exactly DRINK till November,
1907, when the LIQUOR got the better of her and
Hl9 was ODaDl6 10 CODlTOl DeT craving.
From thai date her habit was 10 drink the al.
most Incredible quantity OF a quart OF Wills
ky a day, and Of course deep inioxlcatlon,
disgrare, and dismissal from employment
were the consequences
She came I'd us on March 81, 1908, and was
treated by non-hypdotio suggestion up to
June 25. She was encouraged to pray against
her besetting vice and was also taught the
art of autc-auggestion. Up till this time she
had worked In, q house where she had free
access TO brandy, which was used for cooking
purposes, and yet she was able to remain a
total abstainer. On June . she left for an
other position at the seaside, but kept In
touch with us by means OF correspondence.
On September II she returned to Boston,
wheee she has obtained a good position. She
still remains a total abstainer and Is now
trying TO save another woman from alcohol
ism.
More than r year ago a young man of
twenty-four, who may take the name OF Tom
Jones. came to me for help against the alco-
holic vice. Tom Jones IL az fine a specimen
OF physical manhood as l have ever beheld,
broad-shouldered, muscular, well developed,
six feet two IN height. For about four yetrs
he had drunk enormous quantities OF liquor.
His average daily was twenty
glasses OF ale and wine, but sometimes he In
dulged to the extent of forty glasses of these
drinks in a day. He had periodic drinking
bouts, which Lasted for seven or eight days at
q time. AS be saw ruin staring him In the
fscs, he wisely decided to quit.