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PRESSED BEEF AND DESICCATED BEEF-JUICE.
105 The practical recognition of the as will give self-control. principle of penal discipline appears, therefore, an alternative mode of solving the question. But even this is only in deputa- the tentative stage; being acted on in continental a Depots.
THE HABITUAL DRUNKARDS BILL.
THE reply given by the Home Secretary to the tion of the 6th inst., on the Habitual Drunkards Bill, andl de Mendicite"— institutions as to which the Scottish the fate of Mr. Dalrymple’s motion in the House of Commons Lunacy Commissioners might supply us with some information in their next report. on the 12th, were eminently characteristic, not only of thei The whole subject of dealing with habitual drunkards is,. Government’s dealing with questions of a medico-social we are sorry to think, only in its infancy; and, while we . the all measures kind, but of spirit in which it approaches would advise no relaxation in devising and discussing affecting the liberty of the subject. schemes like Mr. Dalrymple’s, we would caution the proAbuse of stimulants, it is notorious, weakens the moral fession and the Legislature as to the danger of putting too much confidence in such solutions of the problem. " Presense and the power of self-control; in other words, the! habit causes an organic change in the nervous system vention " is still the paramount rule to be observed in this,. as in nearly every other, social evil. Let any man compare which renders it difficult for the drunkard to withstand the habits of the upper classes sixty years ago with those temptation, to effect his own cure, or even to co-opera,te of the same classes now, and ask himself, to what agencies with his family and his physician to that end. The question is the improvement due ?Was it the seclusion of the asylum therefore arises, whether, through prolonged seclusion and or the discipline of the reformatory that saved them from compulsory abstinence from intoxicating drinks, the nervous their intemperance and grossness of life ? Or was it ensystem might regain its normal condition, and the moral hanced education, refined tastes, ennobled aspirations ? sense and the power of self-control be restored?" The Give the poorer classes, as far as we can, the same advananswer has been attempted in the United States, where the tages. House them in dwellings compatible with physical Government allows the committee of the habitual drunk- health and moral decency. Wean them from animal indulard, duly appointed under statutory provisions, to place gence by domestic comfort, and by facilities for intellectual him in the Inebriate Asylum, and authorises his detention recreation. Train them early in the knowledge of theunder such restraint as may be required to prevent his fabric and functions of their bodily and mental constituescape. A description of such an asylum at New York was tions, so as to make them, in Sir James Coxe’s words, 11 the given in THE LANCET for October 1st, 1870 ; while the facts intelligent guardians of their own health, and the intelliwhich had previously been made known regarding it were gent cultivators of their own moral and intellectual powers." such as to lead Mr. Dalrymple, M.P., to introduce last Then, but not till then, shall we diminish lunacy, intemsession into Parliament a Bill to amend the law of lunacy, perance, and crime. and to provide for the management of habitual drunkards, whereby power would be. given to treat such persons as PRESSED BEEF AND DESICCATED lunatics, and commit them to special institutions—"private and BEEF-JUICE. for indefinite for not patients periods, pauper patients less than three or more than twelve months." The extreme BARON LiEi3iG conceived the idea of extracting from the jealousy with which the British Legislature regards all measures affecting the liberty of the subject, except those wild cattle of South America those substances to which meat which enforce obedience to the law, proved fatal then, as owes its characteristic properties, and conveying them to the now, to Mr. Dalrymple’s Bill; and, in spite of official asill-nourished populations of Europe. The so-called extract surances, will, we fear, postpone its enactment indefinitely. At the same time, the advocates of such a measure as of meat was to be made, sent over to Europe, and distributed Mr. Dalrymple’s must be prepared to meet objections drawn among the labouring classes, whose cheerless fare was to its provisions from experience recorded elsewhere than to be rendered stimulating and equivalent to an in America. "Under existing statutes," say the Commis- thereby animal diet. From the entire ox only eight or ten pounds sioners in Lunacy for Scotland in their last report, 11 habitual drunkards or dipsomaniacs are frequently sent to of the Liebig’s extract are procurable, but these eight or asylums, and are rarely discharged under a period of three ten pounds of extract are very potent, and will animalise a. months. Frequently they are detained much longer; but mountain of vegetable food. The plan has, to some extent, the evidence in favour of lasting benefit from this step is answered. European food has been enriched with animal by no means satisfactory." The Scottish Commissioners products from South America, and, in token of the success. anticipate, therefore, that beyond the relief afforded to of the enterprise, the Liebig’s Extract Company paid an 8friends and fortune by temporary detention, no great good per cent. dividend some time ago. There are, however, would result from the enactment of Mr. Dalrymple’s mea- difficulties in the way. The great bulk of the carcass-all sure. Reformatory treatment, however, would, in their the nutritive part, as distinguished from the stimulating opinion, be possibly more favourable if made systematic. extract-is thrown away or converted into manure, and, in But industrial employment is not enforced under our lunacy those hot climates, constitutes a serious drawback, involvinglegislation ; and with a view to make a remedy of recreation, considerable outlay for its proper disposal. On the other institutions have been proposed for dipsomaniacs of the hand, the extreme concentration of Liebig’s extract is a upper ranks, where the nervous system should regain its hindrance to its proper employment by the poorer classes tone by out-door amusements, and sports like hunting, in Europe. At present the benefit has been almost conshooting, or fishing. Here, again, however, the Commis- fined to invalids and the wealthy and middle classes, and sioners would take a desponding view; at any rate, experi- has hardly reached the poorer people, who ought to be the ments in this direction have never, within their knowledge, chief recipients of it. been carried out "with such perseverance and completeA new process for accomplishing the objects above ness" as to be followed by any marked success. Institu- referred to has just been brought out by Mr. Henley, a tions of this kind could not possibly be established for well-known engineer, and a company called The Pressure pauper dipsomaniacs; and, accordingly, the Commissioners Meat Preserving Company" is being formed to work it. Flesh in its natural condition consists of about 75 raise the question, H whether compulsory employment should not be regarded as an essential part of any scheme for re- parts of water and 25 parts of solids. Mr. Henley prostoring the power of self-control in drunkards, not only for poses to remove the greater part of the water, whereby economical reasons, but also on grounds of rational phy- the meat will be reduced to one-half of its original siology." This suggestion, however, is at once beset by the weight (without loss of substance), and will be preserved difficulty: compulsory employment implies power of pun- at the same time. We have just tasted some of it, ishment, and power of punishment is not allowed under which had been kept for about a month in a chemical lunacy legislation. Habitual drunkards, if brought under laboratory, and can speak to the soundness of its condition. the restorative discipline of the reformatory, must be The novelty in Mr. Henley’s process is the employment of dealt with, not as lunatics, but as offenders against powerful pressure as a means of making the drying possible. whom the criminal law may take action. Mere deten- In six hours the bullock which walks into the slaughter-laouse tion from the risk of temptation will not, as we have may be put on board ship in the shape of highly dried hinted, ensure such renovation of the nervous system pressed beef and desiccated beef-juice. ’
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THE HABITUAL DRUNKARDS BILL.
THE reply given by the Home Secretary to the tion of the 6th inst., on the Habitual Drunkards Bill, andl de Mendicite"— institutions as to which the Scottish the fate of Mr. Dalrymple’s motion in the House of Commons Lunacy Commissioners might supply us with some information in their next report. on the 12th, were eminently characteristic, not only of thei The whole subject of dealing with habitual drunkards is,. Government’s dealing with questions of a medico-social we are sorry to think, only in its infancy; and, while we . the all measures kind, but of spirit in which it approaches would advise no relaxation in devising and discussing affecting the liberty of the subject. schemes like Mr. Dalrymple’s, we would caution the proAbuse of stimulants, it is notorious, weakens the moral fession and the Legislature as to the danger of putting too much confidence in such solutions of the problem. " Presense and the power of self-control; in other words, the! habit causes an organic change in the nervous system vention " is still the paramount rule to be observed in this,. as in nearly every other, social evil. Let any man compare which renders it difficult for the drunkard to withstand the habits of the upper classes sixty years ago with those temptation, to effect his own cure, or even to co-opera,te of the same classes now, and ask himself, to what agencies with his family and his physician to that end. The question is the improvement due ?Was it the seclusion of the asylum therefore arises, whether, through prolonged seclusion and or the discipline of the reformatory that saved them from compulsory abstinence from intoxicating drinks, the nervous their intemperance and grossness of life ? Or was it ensystem might regain its normal condition, and the moral hanced education, refined tastes, ennobled aspirations ? sense and the power of self-control be restored?" The Give the poorer classes, as far as we can, the same advananswer has been attempted in the United States, where the tages. House them in dwellings compatible with physical Government allows the committee of the habitual drunk- health and moral decency. Wean them from animal indulard, duly appointed under statutory provisions, to place gence by domestic comfort, and by facilities for intellectual him in the Inebriate Asylum, and authorises his detention recreation. Train them early in the knowledge of theunder such restraint as may be required to prevent his fabric and functions of their bodily and mental constituescape. A description of such an asylum at New York was tions, so as to make them, in Sir James Coxe’s words, 11 the given in THE LANCET for October 1st, 1870 ; while the facts intelligent guardians of their own health, and the intelliwhich had previously been made known regarding it were gent cultivators of their own moral and intellectual powers." such as to lead Mr. Dalrymple, M.P., to introduce last Then, but not till then, shall we diminish lunacy, intemsession into Parliament a Bill to amend the law of lunacy, perance, and crime. and to provide for the management of habitual drunkards, whereby power would be. given to treat such persons as PRESSED BEEF AND DESICCATED lunatics, and commit them to special institutions—"private and BEEF-JUICE. for indefinite for not patients periods, pauper patients less than three or more than twelve months." The extreme BARON LiEi3iG conceived the idea of extracting from the jealousy with which the British Legislature regards all measures affecting the liberty of the subject, except those wild cattle of South America those substances to which meat which enforce obedience to the law, proved fatal then, as owes its characteristic properties, and conveying them to the now, to Mr. Dalrymple’s Bill; and, in spite of official asill-nourished populations of Europe. The so-called extract surances, will, we fear, postpone its enactment indefinitely. At the same time, the advocates of such a measure as of meat was to be made, sent over to Europe, and distributed Mr. Dalrymple’s must be prepared to meet objections drawn among the labouring classes, whose cheerless fare was to its provisions from experience recorded elsewhere than to be rendered stimulating and equivalent to an in America. "Under existing statutes," say the Commis- thereby animal diet. From the entire ox only eight or ten pounds sioners in Lunacy for Scotland in their last report, 11 habitual drunkards or dipsomaniacs are frequently sent to of the Liebig’s extract are procurable, but these eight or asylums, and are rarely discharged under a period of three ten pounds of extract are very potent, and will animalise a. months. Frequently they are detained much longer; but mountain of vegetable food. The plan has, to some extent, the evidence in favour of lasting benefit from this step is answered. European food has been enriched with animal by no means satisfactory." The Scottish Commissioners products from South America, and, in token of the success. anticipate, therefore, that beyond the relief afforded to of the enterprise, the Liebig’s Extract Company paid an 8friends and fortune by temporary detention, no great good per cent. dividend some time ago. There are, however, would result from the enactment of Mr. Dalrymple’s mea- difficulties in the way. The great bulk of the carcass-all sure. Reformatory treatment, however, would, in their the nutritive part, as distinguished from the stimulating opinion, be possibly more favourable if made systematic. extract-is thrown away or converted into manure, and, in But industrial employment is not enforced under our lunacy those hot climates, constitutes a serious drawback, involvinglegislation ; and with a view to make a remedy of recreation, considerable outlay for its proper disposal. On the other institutions have been proposed for dipsomaniacs of the hand, the extreme concentration of Liebig’s extract is a upper ranks, where the nervous system should regain its hindrance to its proper employment by the poorer classes tone by out-door amusements, and sports like hunting, in Europe. At present the benefit has been almost conshooting, or fishing. Here, again, however, the Commis- fined to invalids and the wealthy and middle classes, and sioners would take a desponding view; at any rate, experi- has hardly reached the poorer people, who ought to be the ments in this direction have never, within their knowledge, chief recipients of it. been carried out "with such perseverance and completeA new process for accomplishing the objects above ness" as to be followed by any marked success. Institu- referred to has just been brought out by Mr. Henley, a tions of this kind could not possibly be established for well-known engineer, and a company called The Pressure pauper dipsomaniacs; and, accordingly, the Commissioners Meat Preserving Company" is being formed to work it. Flesh in its natural condition consists of about 75 raise the question, H whether compulsory employment should not be regarded as an essential part of any scheme for re- parts of water and 25 parts of solids. Mr. Henley prostoring the power of self-control in drunkards, not only for poses to remove the greater part of the water, whereby economical reasons, but also on grounds of rational phy- the meat will be reduced to one-half of its original siology." This suggestion, however, is at once beset by the weight (without loss of substance), and will be preserved difficulty: compulsory employment implies power of pun- at the same time. We have just tasted some of it, ishment, and power of punishment is not allowed under which had been kept for about a month in a chemical lunacy legislation. Habitual drunkards, if brought under laboratory, and can speak to the soundness of its condition. the restorative discipline of the reformatory, must be The novelty in Mr. Henley’s process is the employment of dealt with, not as lunatics, but as offenders against powerful pressure as a means of making the drying possible. whom the criminal law may take action. Mere deten- In six hours the bullock which walks into the slaughter-laouse tion from the risk of temptation will not, as we have may be put on board ship in the shape of highly dried hinted, ensure such renovation of the nervous system pressed beef and desiccated beef-juice. ’
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