1827.] [ 601 ] 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF DRUNKENNESS.* 



" There are more killed by the Vintners than arc saved by the Physicians " 



Spanish Proverb. 



NEXT to the Phenomena of Insanity, which, if there were not a sort of 

 instinctive consciousness in men's minds that their examination is attended 

 with a certain degree of danger, would long since have found abundance 

 of commentators, beyond the mere medical writers who have considered 

 them professionally, the peculiarities and symptoms attendant upon the 

 minor mental malady of Drunkenness, have often seemed to us to form one 

 of the most interesting subjects of study with which a speculative mind 

 could occupy itself. Whether we look to the causes by which this destruc- 

 tive habit is brought on ; to the extraordinary circumstances which attend 

 its indulgence; to its effect, in a moral or physical point of view, upon its 

 victim ; or to the manner or possibility of its cure ; the inquiry is still one of 

 the highest curiosity ; and one in which, unfortunately, there are few per- 

 sons who have not, directly or remotely, a strong personal interest. Under 

 such circumstances, it is not surprising that the subject should, at various 

 times, have occupied the consideration of highly eminent men, both literary 

 and scientific ; and we think no apology necessary for bringing before our 

 readers a very short pamphlet, published at Glasgow, which has come 

 rather accidentally under our notice, but which appears to us to form the 

 best essay upon Drunkenness which has been produced for a considerable 

 number of years. The author (Mr. Macnish) states, in a very brief adver- 

 tisement, that his pamphlet was written as an inaugural treatise, to be pre- 

 sented to the Members of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glas- 

 gow candidates for admission into that body being required to print their 

 observations, on some subject connected with medicine or surgery, previous 

 to their election. Its appearance before the public is said to have pro- 

 ceeded " upon the suggestion of the publisher," who conceived that it 

 might be adapted to the perusal of a wider circle than that for which it was 

 originally intended. We are, upon this point, of the publisher's opinion, 

 and willingly (although Mr. Macnish is entirely unknown to us) lend our 

 assistance to carry his suggestion into effect. 



The author sets out by touching generally upon the " causes of drunken- 

 ness ;" and divides drunkards, in the first place, into three great classes 

 those who are constitutionally such from choice ; those who become so from 

 gradual habit or example ; and those who are made such from the pressure 

 of misfortune, or as Mr. Macnish entitles them the " drunkards of 

 necessity." 



The first class the drunkards from choice are the sort of persons who 

 seem to have 



" An innate and constitutional fondness for liquor, and drink con amore. Such 

 men are usually of a sanguineous temperament of coarse, unintellectual minds 

 and of low and animal propensities. They have, in general, a certain rigidity of 

 fibre, and a flow of animal spirits, which other people are without. They delight in 

 the roar and riot of drinking clubs ; and with them all the miseries" [and probably 

 the greater part of the pleasures] " of life may be referred to the bottle." 



In an ensuing chapter the author observes, that " the naval service fur- 

 nishes a great many instances of topers of this description ;" and without 

 the slightest offence to the navy he is perfectly in the right. 



* The Anatomy of Drunkenness ; by Robert Maciiish. MTkun, Glasgow. 

 M.M. New Series VOL. III. No. IS. 4 II 



