The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1920-02-27
Out of Patients :
With Prohibition
Kelley Cure Closes
Original Dwight Plant to Become
Army Hospital

Does Prohibition prohibit? Does
Prohibition affect the rich man? Is
there more drinking now than before
July lst'
The following from the Chicago
Tribune of February 23rd tells the
story. 1t proves that an ounce OF
Prohibition is worth a pound Of
Kelley cure.
Into the twilight OF the kings
Alcohol, ]. Barleycorn, eft cetera-
there is soon to pass unique Amer
lean institution, for almost half cen
fury the 1sculapian fame OF the cult
Bacchus, the therapeutic temple to-
ward which all third rails lcd--at least
for thousands OF men and women.
"The Kelley institute, established
at Dwight in 1870 by DR.. Leslie L.
Kelley, has found it has outlived its
utility because of Prohibition, and nc
gotiatons are now under way with
the war department to convert the
extensive establishment, built in 1885
at cost of $500000, into hospital
for convalescent soldiers.
Has Treated 100000 Patients
"Dr. ]. II. Oughton, head of the in
stitute since 1000, when DIR. Kelley
died, left recently for Washington TO
close the deal. The war department
proposes, it is understood, to lease
the property for ninety-nine years.
The terms were not disclosed. Be
sides the hospital building, or Living
stone hotel, which has capacity of
500 beds, there is large laboratory,
from which i'll days OF yore the instis
tute supplied remedies for its forty
eight auxiliary institutions in the va
rious states and to Canada and Lon
don. The auxiliaries were in most
cases Independent concerns which
were permitted to use the name
Kelley in return for royalties.
"Since Prohibition became effective,
even as far back as the more or less
farcical wartime measure, the once
prosperous business at Dwight has
deprecated until now it is almost neg
ligible. In the heydey the volume OF
new patients averaged from eighty to
100 month. Including its auxil-
iares, the Kelley institute has treated
more than 100000 patients. OF
these Chicago supplied approximately
$4,000.
The Stews of Yesteryear?
what has become of the stews OF
yesteryear nobody knows. But the
Kelley institute, in closing its doors.
is but following the example of
smaller drink cure institutions. Chief.
of these were the Washingtonian
home, which went out OF business
January l. after functioning since
1868, and the Pine sanitarium, another
Chicago institution, which closed shop
early in 1910.
THE history OF Kelley is closely
linked with that of Illinois. A sur
geon with the Union troops during the
Civil War, he was called upon to
treat SO many cases of alcoholism
that he determined to specialize in
what he termed the disease of in
ebriety." Soon after the war he per-
fected his remedy and treatment and
located at Dwight, then village OF
200.
Announcement of the first scien-
ithc drink cure in the United States
caused Dwight to become Mecca tor
inebriates from every state in the
Union. 1t resembled a Klondyke
rush. A thousand patients with their
relatives and friends arrived there al
most overnight. Dwight enjoyed
boom that boosted its population over
the 5000 mark.
"Dr. Charles L. Hamilton, speaking
in DR.. Oughton's absence last night,
said the institute would move into
smaller quarters but he did not know
where