5 A fascinating poison
-
James Nicholls
Abstract
The eighteenth century witnessed significant developments in the ‘medicalisation’ of problem drinking. The key features of the modern ‘disease model’ of addiction emerged in Britain throughout the eighteenth century, and had become fairly well established by the 1770s. Related to the burgeoning medical discourse on drink were long-running philosophical disputes over the nature of consciousness. These fuelled heated speculation over what drunkenness told us about the relationship between mind and body, and what the moral implications of that relationship might be. The Enlightenment sparked innumerable controversies as to the nature of reason and its relationship to moral responsibility. In Britain, the neat Cartesian division between body and mind had always been treated with some scepticism. Far from the health of the mind being divorced from the actions of the body, it seemed self-evident to many that physical well-being was inextricably, and causally, tied to mental health. This chapter explores early medical literature on drink in England and discusses the link between sobriety and sanity.
Abstract
The eighteenth century witnessed significant developments in the ‘medicalisation’ of problem drinking. The key features of the modern ‘disease model’ of addiction emerged in Britain throughout the eighteenth century, and had become fairly well established by the 1770s. Related to the burgeoning medical discourse on drink were long-running philosophical disputes over the nature of consciousness. These fuelled heated speculation over what drunkenness told us about the relationship between mind and body, and what the moral implications of that relationship might be. The Enlightenment sparked innumerable controversies as to the nature of reason and its relationship to moral responsibility. In Britain, the neat Cartesian division between body and mind had always been treated with some scepticism. Far from the health of the mind being divorced from the actions of the body, it seemed self-evident to many that physical well-being was inextricably, and causally, tied to mental health. This chapter explores early medical literature on drink in England and discusses the link between sobriety and sanity.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Introduction 1
- 1 A monstrous plant 5
- 2 Healths, toasts and pledges 21
- 3 A new kind of drunkenness 34
- 4 The politics of sobriety 51
- 5 A fascinating poison 59
- 6 Ungovernable passions 73
- 7 Odious monopolies 80
- 8 The last tyrant 96
- 9 A monstrous theory 109
- 10 The State and the trade 130
- 11 Central control 150
- 12 The study of inebriety 161
- 13 The pub and the people 180
- 14 Prevention and health 199
- 15 Beer orders 216
- 16 Drinking responsibly 233
- Conclusion 249
- Bibliography 263
- Index 278
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Introduction 1
- 1 A monstrous plant 5
- 2 Healths, toasts and pledges 21
- 3 A new kind of drunkenness 34
- 4 The politics of sobriety 51
- 5 A fascinating poison 59
- 6 Ungovernable passions 73
- 7 Odious monopolies 80
- 8 The last tyrant 96
- 9 A monstrous theory 109
- 10 The State and the trade 130
- 11 Central control 150
- 12 The study of inebriety 161
- 13 The pub and the people 180
- 14 Prevention and health 199
- 15 Beer orders 216
- 16 Drinking responsibly 233
- Conclusion 249
- Bibliography 263
- Index 278
