INEBRIATES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 16

INEBRIATES.

:{;/.{ ']/:': '« .'{; " ';; I v/',";!; : ';',;':; -PROPOSEb CHANGES IN THE SCOtTISH" ".;■;.'/:'';'/,■;■: v ; ;V\-,FLEA'/FOE; ; dIJEATEE ]; STEINGENCT./;. tThere'has;been ; ;i6sued a/ report of : the.De-; partmental Committee appointed • by the Secre-■ tary ; for'Scotland to inquire. into tho operation in' Scotland' 0f.,, the law relating, to; inebriates and. their/detention : in.reformatories-and' treats", and/to report what, amendments iu,;the law.!are.desirable. • :The committee'were.in' com,munica.tioia:vwith,/town, parish,/- and "'■ county councils;';and ./took./, the : evidence of .'52 ,'witnesses^':'v;i;.'.'.r,;.';Vv'//.. ■.'■',.■ ,;:'".';:" • ''-.'.'.-;/"-',*' ./: ;:v,^v:Vjnebr|ates'in : All. Classes.'; V\jy v 0; ": : .: /VYhilo:' there -.are', inebriates in." allclasses! of the/community, the evidence subtaitted/to : .th'e committee: showed Nfour .distinct/- groups:—lst,. Those. - persons', irho are. well known' to police authorities those/who aro well,known to parochial /authorities; 3rd, persons '•■ whoxare nbt{ officially-known.! either■' to police '.or par-: ochial. authorities.'/Tind . who cannot pay , the cost{of/their' treatment' in a ; retreat; .-• and '4th, those, among./wcll-tp-dq'pooplo: This olassifica-tion-appears.to them''to' forma useful basis for .that may;iea- : for the cost .of, the; detentibn-.anditrebtment' of'/inebriates.' In reference,'to the;first:group, it should.hnturally fall ; 'to/the" State/to be responsible for :th"eir treatment. "The second'group, being already to a;•>• large •' extent-in the hands'{of: parochial authorities,''should;-.be dealt w.ith'. by; them;!ln regard '■ to.'.the';, third .'group, those. poor. persona of. .'otherwise", .'respectable character who have ,not; been- : in;- thi hands ■: of/either, police.: or ■p'arobhial; i l authorities,'/'.';they;,''W-ould, naturally fall.'under:the care''of;town or county'councils: 'As to the 'fourth group, they would naturally bo "provided'for .out" of. their own resources./' •>■;.';. Inebriety, .and - Mental; Defects. ' ' {After. dealing:with 1 the"question, of .inebriety and . physical . disease,.: the report. goes on -!to

years of- drinking or! by.', age'induces some form, of, brain failure.;' Such''was the classic case of Jane'Cakebrcad;.. whoso notoriety, as the. nfost drunken' wonian ;iii London 'spread all over tho kingdom. -'Not'-until "she- was ■welK'ia'dvanced in life was she -placed/in an asylum, and yet;.she was mentally defective as well' as- in- '■ ebriate ' all /the time.- .The existing..Lunacy Laws, .wore 'never/meant.'to.apply..to, inebriates who are not indubitably/and; more'or less continuously insane,''and there, has, nbvcr'been.'any serious snggestion-, to, bring, inebriates /as '. a, class ' within' the '■■ scope of'' tho ' Lunacy Law.' The; recommendation in-, dicates'a-marked.advance iii this direction, and. the committee are; : in complete Accord..iviti.it, but the. ivhblo subject -requires further experience and discussion.before.legislation can, be • pxpected.YY /•;;.':,.:,; :•;.'"' //{;/{■';,'■';:.';.;{.:':' ' ;'' :'.■ /More' Effectual Mcthods|;,Necessaryi'',.,':. ■,' The result, of.'the inquiry, has''satisfied 'the that :jho, provisions • brftho'iHabitiml DrHnkar(ls'Act'.'o'f-1879, ahd'.tho. inebriates Act of '18?$'arc inadequate, for .the piirposb-of dealing effectively .with- habitual drunkenness;!and, furtheiy that, 'whetherbecause 'of ..their, deficiency, in/this; respect or {for other /reasons, advantage' has not .been, taken'■ of' sucli powers except,:to,'.tho: most-limited: extent; - r They are • persuaded .that /there <i s•. an urgent necessity.;:.for{ a more .effeotual ...modb-of .dealing; with' habitual drunkenness,/and that and additions! to the existing '{Acts are' required ■ if ithe •; evil '/of inebriety is:,to be:satisfactorily, mefc-W'•:.-<'•..'•;. i.'-Art";.' ■-Y :Recommendatiori«,'.':,; ~;'";■ !. ''■:■{..' y, Among- the committee's other . recommendations aro tho following:— ■- ,';'' Vt: .''.,■ //Thai the. Inebriate's Acts,' so -far':'as! may be necessary ;to .carry'.out .the'.recommendation's,. be!repealed; and that' an Act be passed,-con-' s'olidating the existing Acts so 1 , far 'as not; repealed, .'extending the. law;'relating {to inebriates..' .-"/•.■. ,; >-..■.■'"'"■ / ■'.:'•; /•.;.'■. That,''in the/suggested, consolidating Act the term "inebriate" bo substituted- for that' of "habitual drunkard,"/and be 'defl'ned'as fol- ' lows:—7 An' inebriate: is. a , person who ' habi hi-' ally takes or; ;iise's any /intoxicant :'or,.'narcotic,