The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-25
HoWDRUNkARDS ARE MADE IN
THE HOME
BY William Lee Howard, NJ. D.

w /
While the study of eugenics is a
glorious start in getting better men
and women for the worlds future
work, there are some immediate mat
tiers Of vital Importance that should
be given publicity and attention If we
are to reduce the deplorable number
lof drunkards dipsomaniacs, and drug
victims with their accompanying i'm
moralities.
A child born of parents eugenically
Int can be started on career of
drunkenness in the cradle. Many are
so started. The physician who has
lhad much to do with the failures in
life. the mental and nervous wrecks,
the drug fiend, the periodical drunk
ard, the dipsomaniac, the woman lost
ito all sense of morality, will always
look carefully into the early history
. iof his patient He will seek to find
how, as a baby, the unfortunate one
was fed, soothed, and nursed.
In tracing the early life of most of |
these cases of habitual drunkenness,
, Iincompetency and drug habits, we find |
the child was, during its nursing pc
lriod, kept on alcohol or drugs.
In the past two or three generations
and in the country today-it was
the custom to give the infant some
kind of soothing syrup, cough medi-
! cine, or Jamaica ginger for the "tum-
my ache" Now, it is well known, or
e should be made we'll known, that all
of these household and patent RENE
/ dies contain alcohol or drugs in some
lform-some of them as much alcohol
as whiskey.
Most soothing syrups contain opium
l. in some form. This is why they are
l"soothing" Cough medicines, ditto.
Opium has far more injurious effect
!, on the nervous cells and tissues of
/, the child than it has on the adult.
Every tiny brain cell and nerve cell
in the child is struggling for healthy
growth; every bit of delicate tissue
is waiting upon pure milk and pure
water for it's development.
Baby frets and worries over some
trihing trouble. Perhaps it's clothes
n. irritate it; perhaps it only wants TAX
a ing up and being soothed by mothers
nj DC
II ignorant; she has no time; she has
to go to bridge party; in fact
70. while she may be eugenically fiji
oh mother, she is criminal mother
nd through ignorance of her duties to
nd ward her children.
What have such mothers been do
. ling? Starting their children upon
drunkards' careers! The fretting and
crying are stopped by few drops
a of soothing syrup-she gives her baby
Il a dose of opium. OF course he is
4 I"soothed." The young mother knows
: this is the best and only way, because
I Mrs. Blank who had five children, has
/ always done so when they cry
] Opium causes constipation. Then the
/ baby has to have some more drug
z ging.
z We all know the disastrous effect
4 of opium and alcohol upon the adult
4 who takes them regularly into sys,
4 tenn which was started right, free
from destructive drugs. What then
must be the ultimate outcome when
y the baby is started upon them?
y Not brain or nerve cell in such a
persons body is normal or healthy.
n THESE unfortunates cannot stand
81 strain or worry, or appl ythemselves
u to steady occupation-hence so many
81 failures This is the true cause for
8! many wrecks and the growing size
81 of the human junk heap.
81 And this is the way the baby gets
N the habit. The ignorant mother OF
- nurse soon finds that "baby sleeps SO
a lwell" after the first does of the sooth
ing syrup or the pains cease with the
- taking of the medicine" that when
ever Jne cullu cries. JOSSSS, SCISdLus
or appears to be going into convul
- ISions, of course another and larger
\ dose of the poison is given.
- OF course the child screams and
n Hooks convulsive. 1t is the scream
q and cry of the poisoned nerve cells
q Ifor more opium or alcohol. Just the
~ same infantile mania we see exag
~ gerated in the drug or alcorol vic
- tins of full growth when denied theil
y poisons.
- Does not such treatment kill th'
~ babies? Some of them certainly
a Many, many cases of death through
n malnutrition, anaemia, intestinal trou
- bles and commissions are in realit!
- due to this treatment by poisons.
III As the child reaches the play ag
- its wonderful recuperative powers
- fresh air and complete freedom iron
~ brain and nerve worry enable it 70
81 the time to get along without dru
. or alcohol. But it's brain and nerv
~ (Continued on Page Al