A New Cure for Drunkenness.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 208, 2 September 1893, Page 4 (Supplement)

A New Cure for Drunkenness.

Report of a Committee of Specialists,

Interesting Inferences,

(from our special correspondent.)

London, June 30. New cures for drunkenness are perpetually cropping up and invariably prove successfull until the alleged specific falls into the hands of an unprejudiced medical man o r Government analyst. Then (as in the famous chloride of gold case) the bubble promptly bursts. No sooner, however, is one secret remedy discredited than another takes its place. The latest successor to the gold cure hails, like that elixir, from America, and is of course perfectly genuine. Aa it has been tried in that country far and wide for three years without a single failure, drunkenness has presumably been abolished there, and the inventor feels at liberty to come to the rescue of pood old England. For some unexplained roason Birmingham has been selected aa the n'eld of the first experiments, but we have already begun to haar something in London of the cure, and shall doubtless, ore long, hear more. Meanwhile, fcho 'St. James's Gazette' advises the public to adopt an attitude of 'healthy scepticism 'in the matter. The journal in question does not wish to prejudge the cure, or to tbrow doubt on the good faith' of the enthusiasts advocating the remedy. It is, however, permissible, observes your contemporary, to say that the evidence so far offered in its favour will carry no weighb with any one familiar with habitual drunkenness and its treatment; and, further, that there are a good many circumstances about the ' cure' calculated to rouse the suspicions of the experienced. What aro the facts ?

The inventor is said to have been an American army surgeon, and to write M.D. after hie name ; but the name of the university is not mentioned, and apparently no other credentials are given. Further, he is not hero in person, bub represented by an 'agent,' who seems to claim no medical status. Then tho drug is said to be a ' voeotnblo compound,' tho concotion of which is the result of * thirty years' hard study and experiment'; butof what it is compounded wo are no 6» informed. It is however, ' somewhat costly to prepare,' and the charge for treatment is ten guineas a head. AH this haa a suspiciously familiar ring—the mysterious and potent herbs culled in distant lands, the toiling savant unknown to fame until he comes forward in acommercial capacity flavoured with philanthropy. Does it not rather Bbrongly recall Count Mattei and a score of ' safe euros ?' These suggestions may bo doing the ' American army aurgeon' an injustice; but ib musb be admitted that appearances are against him. It is the practice of honourable medicine to communicate new discoveries to the profession in general with full details and to invite investigation, which tho profession, bo it observed, is always ready and eager to undertake. The application in practice of such discoveries should come through the hands of the profession, and through them only, for they alone are competent to judge. To that honourable law there are no honourable exceptions. It will be within every one's recollection that a partial attempt to violate it was recently made on behalf of a really distinguished man of science, with disastrous results. Perhaps the inventor of the new cure has taken the proper course in America, but apparently not. Certainly he has not done so hore. He has sent his agent to some gontleman in Birmingham connected with the temperance movement. The agent has brought the Btuff—the ' rather costly ' stuil' — and testimonials from psrsoqs who have been cured by ib. We know tkese testimonials ; they come from everywhere, and are nob a bib better for being called affidavits. No wonder the Birmingham gentlemen approached the subject with a ' considerable amount of scepticism.' But they did approach it, formed a committee, selected some drunkards and experimented with them. The result is embodied ia a report, which is pretty certain to attract a good deal of attention. Let us briefly oxaraine ib.

In tho first place, the Committee consisted entirely of laymen. No disparagement to the members themselves is intended, and they would, no doubt, bo the first to admit that) their conclusions would have been greatly strengthened by the addition of one or two gentlemen accustomed to the use of drugs end tho treatment of disease. Nor is confidenca increased by the fact that all tho members of tho Committee ara prominent members of temperance associations; for such are apt; to be over-enthusiastic about reformed sinners. Their report proves it. Nino persons wore treated, and for a bare three woeks. Yot on tho strongth of this meagre experiment they formally issued a favourable report endorsing the claims of the vendor of the drug. And on whab evidenco? Merely this: That the patients looked better and paid they wore cured. There was no corroborative evidence whatever, except in tho case of one man's wife, and no supervision— merely the patients' own statement. Are these gentlemen not aware that ono of tho most characteristic featurns of dipsomania is the perpetually recurrent belief ol the subject that ho is cured ? They lay great stress on tho statement of the patients, that formerly' when abstaining they felt tho craving all tho time, but now they do not. That is what) thoy always say-formorly they wora not cured, but now they roally are. The statements of inebriates about their own condition are worth absolutely nothing ; and yet that is almost the only evidence on which tho Birmingham report rests. Bub oven if they are accepted, what is the value of a three weeks' cure in this disease ? As well say that an untruthful child has been cured of lyintr in the same period. A dozen other objections might be taken to this report, which is really a perfect farce and only worth notice because it is likely to impose on ignorant people. Whatever there may be in the romedy, this evidenco is well-nigh worthless. The most favourable conclusion that can bo drawn from it is that the drug is of some assistance in helping habitual drinkers bo absbain from drink fora short period; bub it would bo very unwise to draw even that conclusion.