Ii8 MARRIAGE AND DISEASE. 



on through several generations. Nevertheless, the 

 physician's duty is to make the attempt in every case. 

 In some few his efforts will be rewarded with more or 

 less success, but, unhappily, in the vast majority they 

 must end in utter failure, for the simple reason that he 

 has been called in too late. As Dr. Oliver Wendell 

 Holmes has said, " the doctor should have been called 

 in a hundred years earlier." 



By reference to Dr. Stewart's table, already given, 

 it will be seen that he fixes the proportion of cases of 

 dipsomania, in which he found hereditary taint, at so 

 high a figure as 63.4 per cent., which is above that 

 of any other form of mental disease given. 



Of late years the Legislature has been induced to 

 recognise habitual drunkenness as a diseased condition, 

 and has made certain laws for the temporary confine- 

 ment, care, and treatment of those so afflicted, if they 

 themselves sanction it. This, however, is only a first 

 step in the right direction, but the path is entered 

 upon, and we may hope before long to be able to 

 detain, as we now can a raving maniac, those unfortu- 

 nate, semi-responsible creatures who at present out- 

 rage society by indulging their degraded appetites, 

 and are free to propagate their innate degeneracy. 

 And when that day arrives we shall enter upon an 

 era in which it will be possible to lessen, in some part, 

 not only habitual drunkenness, but all the diseases, 

 mental and bodily, which arise from the abuse of 

 alcohol. 



I need not harrow the feelings of the reader by 



