Insanity and Alcoholisni. 



as well as a moral problem, and should.be so con- 

 sidered. " Thus Socrates, having a clean soul in 

 a clean body, could drink his boon companions 

 under the table, and then go out himself and 

 take the morning air what was a blemish and 

 defect in them, being simply an added power of 

 enjoyment to himself." 



It is an unfortunate thing that what might be 

 considered as a comparatively harmless source 

 of pleasure, should be converted into a most 

 terrible scourge, for such in our present demoral- 

 ised condition it (alcohol) proves to be. 



If then, alcohol is such a curse to civilisation, 

 why not forbid its use ? If it is such a common 

 cause of insanity, why not close the public- 

 houses and make it illegal to sell it as a 

 beverage ? Surely this would be the easiest way 

 out of the difficulty ! Or is it too great a source 

 of revenue, for our legislators to give it up yet ? 

 Or is it too profitable an investment, for our 

 speculators to forego their interest in its manu- 

 facture ? I am told there are many parsons, 

 even, who are brewery shareholders, so that there 

 is not much likelihood of our public-houses being 

 closed just yet. 



The reform must come from the people them- 

 selves. Insanity and alcoholism are the result 

 of physical degeneration, and we must attack 

 the cause of the degeneration before we can over- 

 come either. 



Almost as if in answer to the prophesy of Mr. 

 Kay Robinson two works have just appeared, 

 both by medical men, one a Russian and the 

 other a New Zealander, who deplore conditions 



29 



