90 THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 



wine or spirits. The depression and faintness attending the menstrual period in 

 some women, and the debility and low spirits which often distress nursing mothers, 

 may lead to the use, or rather abuse, of alcohol. Women who have a tendency to 

 be hysterical, have often a craving for strong drinks, which should be most carefully 

 kept in check. 



In the higher classes of society we not unfrequently see men who have failed in 

 some cherished speculation, or women who have lost the only object they cared for 

 in life, take to drink with an almost insane vehemence, although they may never 

 have shown any such tendency before. It is not that there is any particular 

 temptation in the taste of the drinks to which they have recourse, for it is a fact 

 that even the most refined and delicate women, when they resort to these practices, 

 do not drink wine, but brandy or gin, or some equally coarse and strong spirit. It 

 is a mere accident that leads them to select alcohol : under other circumstances they 

 would take opium or hashish, or any other intoxicant which they could most 

 conveniently obtain, or they would plunge into the indulgence of some special vice, 

 or resort to any form of excitement which would promise them oblivion. 



Often enough there is nothing which can be regarded as a predisposing cause of 

 alcoholism ; and yet people take to drink. They have a liking, nay, an earnest 

 longing, for it, and they will do almost anything to gratify their desire. Some 

 people never drink except in company ; with others the mania is for secret drinking. 

 It is difficult to say which practice is the more pernicious. 



Now as to the symptoms induced by the continual excessive indulgence in 

 alcohol. Nothing more surely undermines the constitution. One of the first 

 symptoms is indigestion and want of appetite, especially for breakfast. If a man 

 can't eat his breakfast it is a bad sign there must be a screw loose somewhere. 

 Then there is a little tremulousness of the hands, and about the legs. Tell the 

 fellow to hold out his hand, and you will see how shaky he is. He may keep it 

 quiet for a time by a great effort, but never for long. A man's hand should be as 

 steady as a rock. You find on inquiry that he is restless at night. He tells you he 

 can't sleep ; he turns and twists about hour after hour, and dozes a bit, but 

 never goes right off. The slightest noise wakes him, and he hears every hour 

 strike. Very often he dreams the most horrible dreams, and acts and re-acts all the 

 events of the day over and over again. The brain, he says, is always on the work, 

 and he can't rest. He complains of noises in the ears, feels giddy, and sees specks 

 or bright lights floating before his eyes. There is never any distinct hallucination, as 

 there is in delirium tremens. Another prominent symptom is morning vomiting, or 

 perhaps a little retching before breakfast. If a person tells you he is always sick 

 the first thing in the morning, directly he gets up, you may be pretty sure that he 

 drinks. You must, of course, exclude the case of women who are pregnant or 

 suffering from some disorder of the womb, as that would be quite sufficient to 

 account for it. Tenderness of the feet is another indication of alcoholism. You see 

 old drinkers going about in their slippers all day long. These people are often 

 great sufferers from piles. 



You can often recognise a drinker from his general appearance. Curiously 

 enough, some people get fat on drink, whilst others get thin. You may meet with 



