Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-07-22

Read said at least 25 per cent. of in
sanity is due to alcohol.
A resolution in which it was recon
mended that the medical profession
carry on persistent campaign of ed
ucating the public to the harmful eff
fects of alcohol, and take the initiative
in securing legislation to prevent the
sale of alcoholic beverages was adopt
ed. The resolution reads as follows:
Doctors Asked to Lead.
Whereas in the opinion of the alien.
lists and neurologists of the United
States. in convention assembled. it has
been definitely esta blished that alcohol
when taken into the system acts as
definite poison to the brain and ether
tissues; and,
Whereas the effects of this poison
are directly or indirectly responsible
for a large proportion of the insane
epililptie. feeble minded and other
forms of mental, moral and physical
degeneracy; and,
Whereas the laws of many states
make alcohol freely available for
drinking purposes, and therefore cater
| to the physical, mental and moral de
! generation of the people; and,
Whereas, many hospitals for the r.
sane, and other public institutions are
now compelled to admit and care for
multitude of inebriates: and,
Whereas many states have already
established separate colonies for the
treatment and re-education of such in
ebriates, with great benefit to the in
diyiduals and. to the commonwealth:
therefore be it
Resolved, That we unqualifiedly
condemn the use of alcoholic beverages
and recommend that the various state
legislatures take steps to eliminate
such use; and be it further
| Resolved. That we recommend the
Seenral establishment by all states and
territories of special colonies of hos
pitfalls for the care of inebriates: and
Resolved, That organized medicine
should initiate and carry on a sys-
tematic, persistent propa ganda fo1 the
education of the public regarding the
| deleterious effects of alcohol; and be il
further
| Resolved, That the medical profess
sion should take the lead in securing
adequate legislation to the ends here
in specified
Drink Leads to Prison Cells
DR.. Frank l. Drake of Madison Wis
| earlier asserted his belief that 90 nor
cent. of convicts are led to prison nv
drink.
| crime has its inception In vagabona-
age and incorrigibflity,' he said. "Of the
727 admissions into the Wisconsin peni-
tertiary during 1928, AZ per cent. ad-
mitted the use of liquor to excess and
only seven per cent. denied the use of
| it,
| Below par mentally and physically is
| the diagnosis of the majority of criminals
| by Dr. Paul E. Bowers, physician at the
Indiana State Penitentiary at Michigan
City. Ind, president of the Prison Ply
sicians' Association and first lieutenant
in the Medical Reserve Corps United
States Army. DR.. Bowers got his infor-
nation from a study of 100 cases of Grim
inas in the Indiana penitentary, all of
whom had been returned to the peniten-
| tiary at least four times In all of the
100 cases there were 697 convictions for a
total period of 1921 years. Following are
some of the results of his study:
Number admitting the use of alco-
holic beverages TO excess ............ "a
| Number confessing some form of re-
| ligion ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. So
| Number admitting history of mental
! defect in immediate family, irclud-
| ing insanity, feeble mindedness,
epilepsy and crime ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Sc
Number of prisoners admitting the
use of narcotic drugs ................. 3
THE crimes of men are many times
due to insanity" said DR.. Bowers.
Sometimes, after they have been in
prison for time, they get religion, and
often it is thought that they have re-
formed. Frequently they are released for
this reason alone, but the second cycle
of criminality comes around and they re-
turn to the penitentiary.
at has been found that IS per cent. of
the men who repeatedly violate the rules
of the prison are mentally unbalanced.
/ have become convinced that the prison
populations are composed of deteriorated
and defective individuals who fall below
the average physical and mental stand
ards. / believe we do find the stigma OF
degeneration among prisoners with great
er frequency that in equal numbers of
civilians living at liberty.
On Insanity's Borderland
The constitutionally inferior class mas
an unsatisfied craving for continual ex-
citement and lives close to the border
line of insanity. The wanderlust calls
! strongly to them, and the railroad detec-
| tives are constantly on the watch for
them. There are hundreds of them now
roaming about committing petty crimes.
To make these men straight we would
have to correct the physical defects,
place them in the correct environment
direct the channels of their thought and
give them an occupation which would
afford them a reasonable amount Of ex-
element
DR.. c.. F. Neu of Indianapolis read a