The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-05-04
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PLACE IuEBRIATEs ON FARns
In Their Belief OF the Colony
Treatment Of Drurkards.

Medical Authorities Arc Unanimous
In Their Belief OF the Colony
Treatment Of Drunkards.
A new method OF handling the prob
lem OF drunkenness Is set forth In
| The Survey. While II In undoubtedly
a suggestion of the right kind for the
| relief OF individual cases OF drunken
ness It would appear to the casual
observer that too much of our effort
and time and money are spent In the
| attempt 10 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.
1nebriety Ia the source of many OF
the most important problems OF gov
eminent. 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. 80 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
$685.. or so per cent OF the total ar
rests were made for public intoxica-
ton. Drunkenness as cause of pov.
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 a
saloon and probably by performing
mental service for the bartender get
a drink. This is the most natural
thing for him to do. The alcoholic
repeater Is the natural result of the
short sentence.
| The number OF persons who appear
again and again for drunkenness IL
alarming. In one case, a man now
81 years of age has been In the work
house So separate times. He has
spent 1888 days there at total cost
| for maintenance alone OF $1,S6S53.
Another case has been in the work
house "a different times. in the alco-
holic wards OF a city hospital 81
times, In the municipal lodging house
twice, in the almshouse once and in
two other hospitals two times each.
He has spent a total Of 1.943 days In
these various places at a total cost
of 81. 323.12. Still another case. a man
about So years of age. has been in the
workhouse. almshouse. or hospitals
| II times or a total of 5,S84 days at a
total cost OF $2,492.37. In Utica. N.
Y, one person has appeared before
the police court at least $50 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
lected in installments. More serious
cases should be committed to a farm
colony. To carry out this plan in
/ NOANtc tAtthhinb btCd<iy LILO
of probationary oversight of petty Of
tenders. This principle Is compare
lively recent I'm application but the
results are SO satisfactory that II has
passed the experimental stage.
Seven states provide for the com
mitment of habitual drunkards on the
petition OF relatives accompanied by
proper medical certifcation. When
a man has completely lost his self
control and is constant burden to
his family, IL should not be necessary
for him 10 become SO obnoxious to tho
community as 10 incur arrest for dis
orderly conduct before he can be COM
mitted to an institution.
Medical authorities are unanimous
In their belief In the farm colony
treatment The prime necessities
are: Isolation from alcohol for 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 inebriety, however. can
be treated alike. Physical differ
ences due to the stage Of the disease
require classification and diversified
treatment Incipient and advanced
cases cannot be treated together
The advantage OF such colonies are
that large number OF FOUNDERS
would be taken from the streets.
courts. prisons. warehouses;. and hos
pitfalls. Many eases that are con
slant menace to society would be re-
moved. Families that are burdened
by caring for fathers and brothers
who are habltually drunk would be re-
lieyed. But rlost important the indi-
yidual would be isolated from alcohol
and placed in tealthful environment,
and helped TO lead wholesome and
PARTIALLY self-suprorting life.