from dypso-mania than his patient. The former may inherit
or acquire the disease as well as the latter."

"How does the doctor know that he has not from some ancestor this fatal
diathesis? Children rarely if ever betray to their children a knowledge
of the vices or crimes of their parents. The death by consumption,
cancer or fever is a part of oral family history, but not so the death
from intemperance. Over that is drawn a veil of silence and secresy,
and the children and grandchildren rarely if ever know anything about
it. There may be in their blood the taint of a disease far more
terrible than cancer or consumption, and none to give them warning of
the conditions under which its development is certain."

"Is it not strange," was replied, "that, knowing as Dr. Angier
certainly does, from what he said just now, that in all classes of
society there is a large number who have in their physical
constitutions the seeds of this dreadful disease--that, as I have said,
knowing this, he should so frequently prescribe wine and whisky to his
patients?"

"It is a little surprising. I have noticed, now that you speak of it,
his habit in this respect."

"He might as well, on his own theory, prescribe thin clothing and damp
air to one whose father or mother had died of consumption as alcoholic
stimulants to one, who has the taint of dypso-mania in his blood. In
one case as in the other the disease will almost surely be developed.
This is common sense, and something that can be understood by all men."

"And yet, strange to say, the very men who have in charge the public
health, the very men whose business it is to study the relations
between cause and effect in diseases, are the men who in far too many
instances are making the worst possible prescriptions for patients in
whom even the slightest tendency to inebriety may exist hereditarily.
We have, to speak plainly, too many whisky doctors, and the harm they
are doing is beyond calculation. A physician takes upon himself a great
responsibility when, without any knowledge of the antecedents of a
patient or the stock from which he may have come, he prescribes whisky
or wine or brandy as a stimulant. I believe thousands of drunkards have
been made by these unwise prescriptions, against which I am glad to
know some of the most eminent men in the profession, both in this
country and Europe, have entered a solemn protest."

"There is one thing in connection with the disease of intem