THE CAUSES OF DRUNKENNESS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4605, 23 December 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE CAUSES OF DRUNKENNESS.

(National Food and Fuel Reformer.) We might sum up the causes that lead to over-consumption of alcohol under the following heads : 1. The want of oxygen is an undeniable cause of drunkenness. The exhilarating medium of life, oxygen itself, is alcoholic, we might say. It is a constant irritant, and therefore exhilarating. If the air has become exhausted of a portion of oxygen, it has a lowering effect upon the human system, a desire to make up for this drives men and women to alcoholic consumption. It will be said, why then drunkenness in rural districts ? But no one yet proved that drunkenness was as prevalent in rural districts as in towns, and if it exists there at all, it will be partly caused by the dulness and sameness of life. The system will have exhilaration, and if it cannot have it in the mode of life, it gets it out of spasmodic and vicious action. 2. Want of nutritious and aromatic food ; and this is, perhaps, the strongest of all causes of drunkenness. The absorbed vitality wants replacing, and in default of being replaced by absorption of solid nourishment, which acts regularly in conjunction with systematic functions, a craving for spasmodic stimulants is raised, and leads easily to excess. It is, however, often not only the want of solid as of aromatic food ; for continual heavy food will exhaust the digestive organs, and cause feebleness as much as uuder-nourishment, producing the over-use of stimulants. A coni etant una of aromatic food is necessary, par-

ticularly in our artificial town life, to form a continual stimulating action, and replace the natural exhaustion consequent on the inhalation of vitiated atmospheric air. The volatile oils, contained in stimulating foods, are safeguards against drunkenness or over-consumption of alcohol. 3. Unsettled meals. The ill-regulated provision for supplying food to the body is a great cause for drunkenness. If exhaustion is not replaced regularly, sudden replacement is required. It is far easier to run into the public-house for sixpennyworth of stimulants than to wait till sixpenny worth of well-cooked food is prepared; and as nature does not like to wait if neglected, the first course is taken, and to a very bad purpose indeed. The stimulant acts momentarily ; this brings about weakness, and finally ends in requiring further and stronger stimulants. It is no use for wives and mothers to exclaim against the drunkenness of their husbands and sons, if that which would obviate drunkenness—regularity of food-meals—is not attended to. 4. Spasmodic work. It is possible to draw a line, where to meet drunkenness and where not, in trade. Regular occupation and regular hours are preventative of exhaustion of vitality, and therefore do not tax the system as heavily as sudden occupation at irregular intervals, prolonged beyond endurance. The man who has to work a long run of hours at a stretch has no taste for regular food, but flies to spasmodic sustenance; the man, or woman, whose energies are taxed suddenly, extravagantly, and spasmodically, will supply vitality in the same way by stimulants—they cannot help it, for nature's requirements are absolute. For such workers peculiar provision ought to be made, since they bring a sacrifice to our civilisation. 5. Want of sleep. There is no greater foe to sobriety than want of sleep ; dt eats into the very marrow of vitality. Want of sleep is want of replacement of energy, and what cannot be obtained in one way will be obtained in another. Long wakefulness exhausts the system, and requires stimulant action ; when that is called into requisition we are no longer sure of the consequences —they may be one way or another, and the human machine once out of order we must put up with the consequences. Order order ! order ! is the great cry of the Universe.! 6. "111-regulated vitality." We have given this point very moderately, and should have liked to characterise it moro strongly. AH disorderly action is absorbent, and leads to the use of stimulants to replace it. The youth who has passed his night in debauchery will not bo satisfied with a simple breakfast, bxit will require strong stimulants to regain his vigor, in some measure, for daily occupation. Under the same heading will come—7. Exhaustive pleasures. Pleasure is as yet little understood. Many young people in towns think pleasure consists in wild reaction from work. Until we educate for pleasure we cannot hope that young minds are sufficiently regulated to understand reaction, and exhaustive pleasures act in such a manner on the system that they weaken vitality, when recreation would enhance it. Wherever a course of exhaustive pleasure is followed, there must be a stimulating agency take place, and alcohol be unduly resorted to. 8. Bad teeth. The want of good teeth for mastication is as great a source of drunkenness as any we have named, and in no other matter can philanthropic action be better employed than in instituting for the working classes and the poor, hospitals where they may, on easy terms, supply this need. Unequal mastication causes bad digestion or want of nourishment, and both lead to the undue consumption of alcohol—for nature will be satisfied. 9. Want of cleanliness. Cleanliness exhilarates, dirt debases. Wherever purity in house, person, and dres3 exists, drunkenness will not find a home. Drunkenness is fond of unkempt hair, of unwashed skin, of tawdry dress, of unmended clothes. Encourage cleanliness, and you encourage sobriety. 10. Heavy clothing and close rooms. Among all the minds that have given their attention to clothincr we have as yet met with none that have regarded seasonable and climatic clothing. 11. Over study, over exertion, over work, all condition on undue consumption of alcohol. Our body, our construction, has finite rule 3 and finite principles, and when we overstep these we disorganise the carefully constituted watchwork, and it has to bo replaced by violent machinery. We do not believe in violent work ; all violence has to be replaced by stimulating substauces, and must lead ultimately to an undue consumption of alcohol. 12. Sameness of life. But stagnation is just as bad. Life will have variety, and when that is neglected we have to create an artificial action. Whether it be the workman in his dull home, or the nobleman in his fine duller mansion, it is all the life will have action, oxygenic change and variety. It yearns for it, and when left [unsatisfied takes a wrong course. We may preach wisely about sobriety in all ways, but sobriety need not mean dulness. Dulness revenges itself and causes a state of being which either ends in torpor or violent indulgence.