390 THE MORAL STATUS OF ALCOHOL. 



affirm, that alcohol is one of the few agents that are endowed 

 with no homoeopathic power whatever. Call the drunkard's 

 cure what we may, it is as presently to be described : it is 

 moreover infallible, as Prussian -army doctors, who use it 

 when needful, could testify : you catch the drunkard, and 

 lock him up he being quite at your mercy as to what he 

 shall eat and drink, or else avoid. He is a gin sot, we will 

 assume ; well, you give him gin gin in abundance. What 

 more kind? Indeed, he will not think so. Gin-and-water 

 for breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, supper ; gin, nothing but gin ! 



Then fancy your eatables soddened with gin ; your morn- 

 ing roll, your dinner meat, cabbage, and potatoes ; gin put 

 into soup ; gin with the salad vinegar ; gin into coffee ; gin 

 everywhere, all day long ; the evil, haunting, persecuting 

 spirit ! It may be all very pretty and pleasant to a gin sot 

 at first ; but the charm soon wears off, and he tells another 

 tale. Horrible dyspepsia sets in ! Headache ; dreams dis- 

 turbed. The patient implores for mercy begs for cold water 

 promises amendment. The doctor perseveres, that the cure 

 may be complete. 



After the lapse of a variable time, according to circum- 

 stances, the patient is let loose : horribly ill, but, through 

 the operation o/ disgust, a regenerated man. He seldom or 

 never relapses to dram-drinking again. Hereupon, then, the 

 question may well be propounded : Why so much trouble 

 should be taken to make drunkards temperate by the opera- 

 tion of any such doubtful, lingering, not to say cumbrous, 

 scheme as a prohibitive or permissive bill, when so ready a 

 means as that just described is at hand? If some hon. 

 member would bring in a bill providing that, on the certifi- 

 cate of two medical men, it should be competent for the police, 

 the parish beadle, the Scripture reader, the parson, or other 

 sufficient authority, to lay hold of the drunkard and imprison 

 him, then submit him to the Prussian cure, he would com- 

 mand the praises of society. 



