Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-05-05
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PLACE INEBRIATEs ON FARMS
In Their Belief Of the Colony
Treatment Of 0runkards.

treatment OF 0fuuNATQBs
A new method Of handling the prob
lem of drunkenness is set forth in
The Survey. While it is undoubtedly
a suggestion of the right kind for the
relief of Individual cases of drunken
ness 1t would appear to the casual
observer that too much of our effort
and time and money are spent in the
attempt to repair the damage which
we ourselves permit by licensing the
public drinking saloon. There is one
thing better than to lift a man out
OF the gutter-that is to remove the
gutter. We are dealing too largely
with effects and not with causes.
Inebriety is the source of many Of
the most important problems Of gov
ernment. Recent figures show that
2S.9 per cent of the male cases of in
sanity In New York are due to exces-
sive use OF alcohol. In Pennsylvania
Al per cent of the imbeciles owe their
condition to intemperance. 30 to 40
per cent of epileptic cases have their
origin In alcoholism. The report Of
the Board of Prison Commissioners
of Massachusetts for 1908 states that
SO 1866. or 60 per cent Of the total ar
rests were made for public intoHica
tion. Drunkenness as a cause Of pow.
erty is continually noticed in every.
day life.
The use Of the short sentence Is
absolutely ineffective. A man leaves
the county jail or workhouse without
money and In most cases without
friends. He can secure shelter in
saloon and probably by performing
menial service for the bartender get
n drink. This II the most natural
thing for him to do. The alcoholic
repeater Is the natural result OF tho
short sentence.
The number Of persons who appear
again and again for drunkenness II
alarming In one case. a man now
6I years Of age has been in the work
house 81 separate times. He has
spent 3.163 days there at q total cost
for maintenance alone OF $1.S6S.53.
Another case has been IN the work
house "a different times. in the alco-
holic wards Of city hospital 81
times. In the municipal lodging house
twice. In the aimshouse once and In
two other hospitals two times each.
He has spent a total of r.943 days In
these various places at total cost
of $I.323.12. Still another case. man
about 55 years OF age. has been In tho
workhouse. almshouse. or hospitals
II times or total Of 1854 days nt
total cost OF $2.492.37. In Utica. N.
r. one person has appeared before
the police court at least 16O times for
public intoxication.
There is substantial unanimity As
to the general lines along which
changes should be made. A graded
series OF remedies Is needed. First
offenders should be released without
their appearance in court. For the
next grade Of cases probation should
be tried and fine imposed to be col.
Iected in installments. More serious
cases should be committed to u farm
colony. To carry out this plan In.
wolves extending greatly the principle
Of probationary oversight OF petty Of
tenders. This principle 10 compara-
lively recent In application but the
results are SO satisfactory that 1t has
passed the experimental stage.
Seven states provide for the com.
petition Of relatives accompanied by
proper medical certification. When
a man has completely lost his self.
control and Is a constant burden to
his family. 1t should not be necessary
for him to become SO obnoxious to the
community as to incur arrest for dis
orderly conduct before he can be com,
mitted to IN Institution.
Medical authorities are unanimous
IN their belief in the farm colony
treatment. The prime necessities
are: Isolation from alcohol for a CON
tinuous period OF time. abundance Of
light and fresh air. therapeutic baths
and as much outdoor work as the pa
tient is capable Of physically. Not
all cases Of tnebriety. however. can
be treated alike. Physical differ
ences due to the stnse of the disease
require classification and diversified
treatment. Incipient and advanced
cases cannot be treated together.
The advantage Of such colonies are
that a large number Of FOUNDERS
would be taken from the streets.
courts, prisons. warehouses;. and hos
pitals. Many cases that are a con-
slant menace to society would be. re-
moved. Families that are burdened
by caring for fathers and brothers
who are habitually drunk would be re-
IIeved. But most important the indi-
yidua! would be isolated from alcohol
and placed in n healthful environment
and helped to lead wholesome and
partially self-supporting life.
Temperance 10 Christianity.
"From the first, even when most OF