The history of the first inebriate asylum in the world / by its founder [Jonathan Edward Turner]. An account of his indictment, also a sketch of the Woman's national hospital, by its founder.

  • Turner, J. Edward, 1822-1889.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of the first inebriate asylum in the world / by its founder [Jonathan Edward Turner]. An account of his indictment, also a sketch of the Woman's national hospital, by its founder. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    rich. Tims the source of ineV)riety was cut off, and the preva- lence of thedisease rare. But where the g'ra])e was cultivated, wine was drunk in the most extravagant quantities; Baccha- nalian feasts were given and exchanged, and temples were dedicated to this god in every city and town in the south of Europe. After the religious crusades had passed, and prince, gen- eral and soldier had retired to their quiet homes, they at once sought an artificial stimulus to re-place the excitement incident to martial life. Then began the work of destruction and death. Hundreds of brave soldiers of the c-ross fell vic- tims to this malady. It regarded no geogra])liical line; it pervaded all classes of men; it laid in the grave the bisho]). who officiated in his solemn rites ; the ])riest, who in a hum- bler sphere announced the truths of the Bible; thestatesman, whose wisdom was recorded in the policy of his government; the lawyer, who presided upon the bench or pleaded at the bar; the merchant, whose ships traversed every sea; the farmer, whose broad fields gave their golden fruits to hungry thousands; last, but not least, the mechanic and the laborer, whose toil ]u-oduced the wealth of the world, and gave com- fort and luxury to the nations. The last argument which we have to offer- in ]>roof of the complete annihilation of races by this disease is found in the history of the Bed-man of North America. After the sailing of Columbus and his brave associates from the shores of Spain in the month of August, ]41)2.a new epoch is observed in the crumbling and wasting away of one of the noblest races upon the face of the earth. The aborigines of our country, (whose sad fate awakens the mo.'^t ])ainful associa- tions connected with its settlement.) were tlie victiins of this destroying malady. At the landing of onr Bilgrim Fathers at Blymouth Bock, 1620,it isestimated that overonemillion aiid a half of Indians existed in our laud; a ]teo])le whose ])hysical develo])ment and ])owers of endui-ance were above the average of the Caucasian race. Thus has ])ass('d away a nation of nearly two millions of iidiabitants in the short space of time of two hundred and thii-ty-five year.s—a fact that has Tio ])i-ecedent in history, and a ])henomenon for the nhvsician to investigate.