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

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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$Every pains has been taken to enforce sobriety, and yet,not- •\vith stain ling all precautions, the habits of the father have become the habits of the son, who, having never seen him from infancy, could not have adopted them from imitation, hiveiy thing was done to encourage habits of temperance, but all to no purpose; the seeds of the disease had begun to germinate; a blind impulse has led the doomed individual by successive and rapid stages along the same course which was fatal to his father, and which ere long terminates in his own destruction. This does not only occur among the lower orders, where it may be supposed that education has done little towards the cultivation of the mind, and the govern- ment of the passions and propensities, for it is observed in those whose education and position in society afford the ' best guarantee that their conduct would be under the guid- ance of reason.” No type of dipsomania has attracted the attention of the medical profession for the last ten years so much as delir- ium tremens. It is generally supposed that its increase is due to the prevalent use of drugged liquors. This may be true, but in our opinion the true cause of the increase of mania-a- potu is found in the peculiar constitution of the jjatient—an inherited predisposition. Sixty years ago this frightful mal- ad} was rare, and when met with was the sequel of manyyears of excess in stimulants. Since that period it has been on the increase, and is frequently produced by a few months indulg- ence in alcoholic beverages. We have seen it developed after a debauch of twenty-four hours. The morbid conditions of delirium tremens are transmitted from ])areut to child. The child has the same condition of constitution which the parent srave it at its birth ; so the child that is born at the tenth veai- of its ])arent’s excess (which excess continued in the parent will ])roduce delirium tremens in the eleventh year) will require but one year of excess to become affected with delirium tre- mens. During our practice a large number of cases of delir- ium tremens havecomeunderonr observation and treatment. One of the most singular cases we have seen showing the hereditary ]U‘edis])osition to delirium tremens, was a man of sober habits, whose daily occu])ation for six years had exT)osed him to the absori)tion of the vaj)or from alcohol.$