steady drink. Englishmen and Scotchmen who in this country keep up their habits of drinking brandy as freely as at home generally become drunkards. I have made this a matter of careful observation; I lived in England for nine years. No. 31. My own observation, both in Europe and America, leads me to the conclusion that the use of wine in moderate amount at table is entirely harmless, and frequently beneficial; that the tippling habit at the saloon or bar or club is always dangerous, and frequently destructive. No. 32. My opinion is that the habitual or even occasional use of spirits is always injurious. That the very moderate use of wine or beer may not be injurious if kept within moderate limits, but is always attended with more or less danger of leading to excess; that it is always dangerous for a woman to drink at all; that it is dangerous for a man to drink until his habits and character are fairly formed; that it is dangerous to drink before and during work; that the reformation of a confirmed drunkard, either a periodical or a constant drinker to excess, is very rare. No. 33. Light Moselle or Rhine wine at meals. Occasionally beer during the day when in Germany, seldom here. Occasionally milk punch of rum; seldom take any stimulant previous to work. Have lived as above nearly all my life. Do not drink whiskey, and take brandy only as medicine; believe in moderate stimulants as recuperator after work; never take them before. No. 34. My personal experience is that a moderate use of good wine or spirits is conducive to health, and that people who cannot be moderate ought not to use stimulants at all. No. 35. I doubt whether the use of spirituous or vinouз liquors is conducive to health, and equally doubt that the moderate use of either is harmful. No. 36. I think a man after fifty years can use a little liquor to his benefit if he has character enough not to abuse the use. I believe if used it had better be taken with the regular meals. As to the daily quantity, that would vary in the same manner as that of food. Every man should judge for himself. My observation is never begin to drink too early in life and become slaves to a foolish habit. Young men do not need liquor, and our social functions in this direction are bad. No. 37. I drink as a matter of habit, and not that I consider it especially healthful; neither have I found it especially harmful. From personal experience I would not advocate partaking of any alcoholic drink. As a dear friend of mine, a German professor of medicine, once said to me when we were discussing the same subject, "I have known thousands to die from the effects of drink, but never knew one to die from the want of it." No. 38. I have seen or experienced no ill effects from a moderate consumption of liquor, but believe the regular use in many cases to be injurious, and especially in stand-up drinks. I think the main evil comes from the habit of treating, and in not considering it proper or manly to accept a drink without returning it as soon as the first drink has been finished. No. 39. From experience I find that a small quantity of light wine with one meal a day materially increases my capacity for mental work. When the use of one gill of claret daily has been discontinued for a week or so, I find myself less inclined to mental work and apparently suffer greater physical fatigue in accomplishing such work. My experiences under other conditions are set forth in the March, 1887, "Forum," under the title of "The Use of Alcohol in High Latitudes." Except where the experiences of other parties are clearly set forth in said article, the experience and observation are my own. RELATIONS OF DRINK HABITS TO INSANITY. Ar the suggestion of the Physiological Sub-Committee the American Medico-Psychological Association undertook to obtain some data with regard to the relations between drink habits and insanity, and for this purpose the following form of queries was prepared corresponding to that used by the Bureau of Statistics of Labor of Massachusetts, in its twenty-sixth annual report, published in 1896. 30,000 of these forms were sent out to 117 state hospitals and asylums for the insane, and as a result 5145 cases were reported, being the current admissions at a certain number of these hospitals for one year. An effort was also made to secure data from some of the large general hospitals with reference to the drinking habits of the patients as admitted, but it did not meet with much success. A report has been received from Bellevue Hospital of New York city, furnished by the courtesy of Dr. W. Gilman Thompson, giving the record of 506 cases in the wards of Dr. Thompson's service, and giving the drink habits of each case, and also a note on 550 cases from the Presbyterian Hospital. The data obtained for the insane have been compiled into tables, which are herewith presented. From these tables it appears that of the 5145 insane persons, 2008 or 39.03 per cent. were total abstainers. In the Massachusetts statistics for 1836 persons, 36.87 per cent. were reported as total abstainers, while of the patients at Bellevue only 14 per cent. were reported as total abstainers, and at the Presbyterian 25.28 per cent. Of the excessive drinkers among the insane there were 12.22 per cent., the Massachusetts statistics giving 16.94 per cent., Bellevue Hospital 21.54, and the Presbyterian 14.90 per cent. Of those cases reported from insane hospitals the insanity was considered to be due to the influence of liquor in 1239 cases, or 24.08 per cent. The corresponding figure in the Massachusetts statistics is 20.86 per cent. |