Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1956-11-14
Guest Editorial L.
IAIL TRAGEDIES

A few weeks ago the police picked
up a man on charge of public
drunkenness, lodged him in Jail, and
found him dead the following morn
ing. The autopsy showed no alcohol
in his system. 1t did show the cause of
death as ruptured gastric ulcer.
The victim was a known alcoholic.
He was apparently in state of shock
because of his acute illness, and ar
resting officers mistook his condition
for simple intoxication.
Another tragic death occurred
some time ago under slightly differ
ent circumstances, but the problem
involved is basically the same. This
person also was a known alcoholic
and he was, according to several wit
nesses, definitely under the influence
of alcohol at the time of his arrest.
But he was also sick, very sick,
from another cause, and he begged
loud and long for medical attention.
For reasons which apparently salts
fled investigating officers the victim
did not receive medical attention. The
next morning he rolled from his mat
tress to the floor and gasped his last
few breathS. Heart attack.
Of course, no law enforcement Of
ficer would knowingly let a man die
i'll his cell when medical attention
could possibly save his life. Neither
would an officer Of the law Jail Il
man for drunkenness if he did not
actually believe the man was drunk.
Ordinary common sense and human
feelings dictate otherwise.
1t is sometimes difficult for the
medically unframed to distinguish be-
tween state of shock due to serious
illness or injury and acute intoXica-
ton, and it is doubly confusing When
the shock victim has alcohol on his
breath, however much or lite go
might have drunk.
This situation has caused otnr. H.
tins of epilepsy, diabetes, and various
seizures to be taken to Jail on drunk
y
ly needed Immediate medical atten-
ton. Some have died in Jail. Others
had the real trouble diagnosed N
time for the mistake to be corrected
When the victim OF shock or other
physical condition is recognized as an
alcoholic by the police and arrested
Tor what appears to be intoXication
1t would seem that his chances Tor
prompt medical aid are considerably
simmer than those OF the non-alco-
holic, at least iii certain localities.
And the irony of IL is that tne aico-
hollc, especially il ne has Ueea drink
ing, is usually in worse physical shape
and more likely to have an organic
disease than his non-alcoholic cell
mate. 1t is medically recognized
fact that alcoholism very often ac-
companies organic disease. The alco-
nollc seems particularly prone to
peptlc ulcers and other disturbances
OF the gastrovascular organs. He is
often the victim of high blood pres
sure and other malfunctions of the
clrculatory system, including heart
trouble. The practicing alcoholic is
almost always suffering from severe
Vltamin and mineral deficiencies. He
Is sometimes tubercular.
Not only can alcoholism accomnanv
these diseases and others. but chronic
lntoxlcatlon can effectively mas,
some OF them from early detection.
1t seems to us that common human
error is not the only unfortunate fac
tor involved in these Jail tragedies.
Popular attitudes and common mis-
conceptions can. and probably do.
enter the picture more often than anv
of us would like to believe.
If it is the attitude of large num-