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Life of Thomas Eddy

SW_WH1793_Page_263

this season. The plan being adopted through myrecommendation, I feel myself under an obligationto pay attention to it, and this occupies, at present,a great portion of my time. We propose to haveseparate buildings for men and women patients,about 300 feet distant from each other, besides oneother building, remote from these, for violent noisypatients; this will be a great improvement on the oldsystem, of having them all under one roof. There is no one evil prevalent in this country, wehave so much reason to lament and deplore, as theintemperate use of ardent spirits. It is distilledmostly from grain, in every part of the United States,and sold at about seventy-five cents per gallon. Thequantity of brandy, gin, and rum imported fromEurope and the West Indies, and whiskey, &;c., madein this country, is equal to twenty-four millions ofgallons, so that, supposing the population of the Uni-ted States to be eight millions, this gives to each man,woman, and child, three gallons a-year! In the late war, it is supposed six thousand persons lost theirlives, owing to that dreadful calamity, and that agreater number of persons were destroyed duringthat period by the use of spirituous liquors. Thisvice enervates the mind to such a degree, that of theindividuals whose habits are fixed in the use of it,scarcely one in one thousand leave it off; attentionto wives, children, friends, their own interest, health, character, rank in life, and reputation, are all sacri-ficed to gratify their inclination for this most dreadfulpoison. There appears no remedy sufficient to curethis disease of the mind, but the operation of the power of religion. I am, with sentiments of great regard and esteem,Thy affectionate friend, THOMAS EDDY.To PATRICK COLQUHOUN, Esq.