Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-14

tional appeals rapidly fade, frequent lapses occur among the emotionally reformed. Alcoholic victims must be convinced of the medical facts con- cerning alcohol They must realize in their innermost consciousness that to- tai abstinence for life is the only means of safety for them, and accom- panying the definite knowledge that alcohol is a dangerous poison, there must be a sincere desire to escape the consequence its use entails. Hence the necessity of making such conse- quences a matter of common knowl- edge.
 Every day observation shows us that alcohol has a powerful influence on the mind, as is seen in ordinary drunk enness. It is because of legal and not medical objections that we fail to re- gard ordinary drunkenness as a defin- ite though transitory mental disorder. There is a widespread belief that all cohol in small amounts stimulates and renderS easier the performance of work, especially the performance of difficult tasks. A certain feeling of collaboration is produced, which in turn produces an impression upon the mind that work is being done faster and better, but such impression is false as regards both physical and mental work. By careful experiments. in the psychological laboratory, it has been proven that instead of alcohol stim- ulating the mind, it has from the be- ginning paralyzing action upon mental function, which persists for consider able periods even after the use of only small amounts. Although a person may talk more, there is a lack of the normal association of ideas, the abil- ity to memorize is impaired, the power of attention is lessened, and there is diminished ability to concentrate the mind. As a result, working capacity is lessened. an effect so strikinly recog- nized by some of the warning nations of Europe in attempting to enforce prohibition during the great test of strength and endurance in which they are now engaged.
 That alcohol and efficiency are in- compatible has also been recognized by many great corporations, especial ly the railroads. The facts established by laboratory tests have been recog- ficiency demands the abandonment of alcohol.
 Doesn't Alter Duty of Society.
 It is sometimes found that a perso1 who habitually drinks too much, de- spite the resulting injury to health and happiness, is fundamentally abnor- nal, and it is generally recognized ing is closely related to an inherent nervous instability, or to the abnor- nal craving of an Unbalanced mind. That, however, does not alter the sit uatiOn so far as the duty of society is concerned, except to render it more lows such poorly fitted individuals every opportunity for alcoholic indul- gence, so long will many of them not only become inebriates, but will de- velop alcoholic insanity, when the avoidance of alcohol would have meant the avoidance of mental shipwreck.
 On the other hand, it is equally true that chronic alcoholics are not al- ways to be considered as originally ab- normal, unstable or even lacking in character. Not even half of the cases of alcoholic insanity in our state hos pitals ever manifested peculiarities of disposition prior to the development of their alcoholism. The majority of such cases are average citizens, of good mentality and well adapted so- cially, except for their excessive drink ing. Yet even in such seemingly nor nal persons there often exists import ant underlying causes of the intemper- ance itself. Such causes are often found to be long-standing disharmon- ieS in the emotional life, and excessive drinking is often poor attempt to escape mental conflicts or difficult sit nations. Thus mental hygiene has a field of usefulness in the cure of all coholism.
 Alcoholic Insanity.
 Alcoholic insanity usually appears after long continued excesses, but an important fact to remember is that it is not only the confirmed drinker who is in danger of developing this type of mental disease, but also the individual who rarely or who never becomes in toXicated, but who drinks daily in a so-called moderate manner, which habit continued over long periods may result no less directly in a mental breakdown. There is also the indi- ViduaI who boasts of the amount of alcohol he is able to drink without