The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1916-08-18
Famous Aienist Denies That Liquor
Causes Most Of INSANITY

After listening the ordinary dry harangue. the ndvid
ua unless he be of questioning turn of mind quite likely
to reach the conclusion that prohibition speedy and
method OF empSne the nations aims houses prisons and
insane aylums Dry orators want to ascribe at least
ninety of all social ills the sale of alcoholic bever
ages On the other hand those in position to know from per-
sonal experience the conditions which crime poverty
and insanity do subscribe the popular dry theories
These the specialists and scientists who deal daily with crime
and insanity and who constantly and earnestly searching
for the and cure for these social Affections
One of these scientists is Dr. Ralph Reed famous aliens
and neuolog of Cincinnati Dr. Reed probably has nothing
by dry aeaors have caused him.
however his fellow physicians Of the ay of the pro-
hbon arguments. his warning he gave recent issue of
the Lancet Clinic medical journal Dr. Reeds article in
part follows:
in &lancns through the mornings paper the familiar
statement OF advocate of prohibition 1t something
like this Go with me through the wards of the hospitals and
insane ayqm and observe every hand the avaees of aeo
hol felt that should have liked to have said that
individual: Very well let Us co. will first visit the ayum
have feeling that he would have plead previous
ment He has probably the inside of asylum
has no desire to
My experiences with intimate with and study of
the admitted to large insane asylum and the same con.
and study ofe admitted large sanitarium devoted
in small degree to the of alcoholism ITSELF
WINGED number of years ago that alcohol in so far as it
may be said essential ofmenta disease almost
negligible factor My private practice in later has rather
tended TO strengthen this conclusion.
Suppose take the four great groups insanity that 90 to
make up the great majority of chroncay insane They
first, dcmenia precox. which, its implies is
and hopeless denenta Its real is every alien
knows absolutely unknown. Next have what is called
manlcdepeSSve insanity which includes many of the various
manlas and melanchoias in asylum wards This
disease durable but shows tendency Its
have paanoia chronic incurable disease manifested by de-
uSions OF persecution its being unknown Next
pareSS disease the essential cause OF which known and
is alcohol.
Over and above these large groups of mental disease there
number OF forms OF insanity that large
number OF insane Many these the results of
on great mental stress or some chronic physical disease
ducins certain NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Finally have relatively
small number that are tie result Of alcohol
Back OF prolonged and excessive consumption of alcoholic
liquors there must be degree mental unbaance
might have resulted in form OF mental disease the
individual had drunk drop. Il these important
that aen who has thought seriously the question of
drink must take into consideration and IN fact they do This
the dc not find asylum srntendents stumpins
the country for prohibition They realize that there very
much more to the question inany and its control than the
abolition OF alcohol.
81 have puposely omitted all discussion of the hereditary
influence OF chronic alcoholism The data necessarily too
inadequate M statistics purportng to show hereditary inue
inadequate My results clearly show however that
serious aacy may Alcoholism per Sc in my opinion
is inherited To admit that might to cast aside ali
the wealth OF scientific evidence tending show that
What may be inherited however the neuroc faint Hence
the same neurotc or psychic instability which made the father
chronic alcoholic be revealed III the daughter a
cepbty to hyera the epilepsy Is strange
that this has been generally recognized had been
would not meet with absurd statements to the effect that
alcoholism IN the parent produces epilepsy insanity in the
offspring: It is the alcoholism that inherited
rotlc strain that produced the alcoholism
The of the prohlonists and their ideas with regard
to drink and insanity be paraleled follows Suppose
should be asked give for suicide and in reply should
state whereas certain proportion of all those committing suicide
hang themselves or shoot themselves therefore important
cause of suicide the unrestricted manufacture and
revoers and would be instantly recognized that my
reply silly and absurd Because while is clear
one had to revolver rope could commit
suicide by hanging shooting yet there nothing show
the legislature should abolish the manufacture and sale of
revoivers and suicides would by that fact be reduced We
all know that the of suicide lies deeper than that
With respect to alcohol the similar To drink ones
self crazy one way of going crazy. Alcohol constitutes
secondary of certain proportion of mental cases. but
saying that and stopping there TO fail approach step
nearer TO the real and fundamental ofinsanity
This advertisement authorized By
the Indiana Brewers Association