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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    We now proceed to give the pathology of inebriety in its I distinctivecharactei'. AVesluill show theniarked peculiarities - of this malady, which distinguish it from all othei- diseases. Inebriety is pi'oduced by alcohol introduced into thestom- i ach, thence taken uj) by the absorbents and carried intcj the blood. This fluid, deteriorated by alcoholic poison, pi-oduces disease in the various organs and tissues of the body. Thus we define inebriety as a disease which is constitutional and often hereditary. It has an independent pathology and a, morbid anatomy, which is as well marked and defined as the morbid anatonpy of any disease that the human family is heir to. It differs from all other diseases as widely as small pox differs from yellow fever. It will be important to state that alcoholic poison taken info the system may or may not produce disease. There are some constitutions so organized that the person may drink s])iritnons liquors immoderately for years, without producing much alteration in the functional condition of his system. Such persons napy control themselves at any and at all times, leaving off their drinks when they choose. This remarkable phenomenon is noticed in eveiy disease peculiar to the human family. There are jjersons who can walk the wards of a yel- low fever hospital for years, and not have the least symptoms of yellow fever, while there are others, who would contract the disease by jiassing the hospital. We will cite another case to show the influence of vegetable poison upon different consti- tutions. Four men are working together in the field. They all alike come in contact with ivy. Three are poisoned and one escapes. This strange and unaccountable mystery which pei-vades the animal economy, is as noticeable in the child as in the adult. Thus out of a family of six children, eating from thesame table, sleeping under thesameroof, surrounded by the same exciting causes, four are attacked with scarlet fever, two die, two recover, and two esca])e without the least symptom of this disease. Men might as well argue that yel- low fever is not a contagion, or a disease, because Mr. Frown or Mr. Smith will not contract it, when subje(‘fed to its excit- ing cause, or that scarlet fever is no malady, because it fails to swee]) the whole family of children info one common gi-ave, or that the ivy is not a poison because it does not