The treatment of alcoholism in Mexico in the XIX Century.

Alcoholism was considered a medical problem at the beginnig of the XIX cent ury, when Esquirol described the nervous delirium due to alcohol abuse. In Mexico, it was diagnosed and treated at the San Andres Hospital. Statistics showed that the frequency of violent dead, suicide, crime and me ntal pathology rised in the same proportion of alcohol consumption. The tre atment for alcoholism was divided into, moral, administrative and medical t reatments. The moral treatment was oriented to the creation of a temperance society wh ere members pledged themselves to drink only natural hygienic beverages and no alcohol. The government fixed taxes for alcohol, restricted taverns and supervised the production of wine by means of a sanitary law. In 1889, the first judiciary law measures were taken in Paris, and Mexico a dopted them immediatly. Alcoholics were treated at the San Hipolito Asylum for alcohol intoxication and chronic alcoholism. The medical treatment for alcoholism was individual and oriented to the des intoxication and the relief of symptoms provoked by alcohol ingestion. Alco holism was divided into three grades, depending on its chronicity and organ ic repercussions. First grade alcoholism was not considered as a serious illness. The main pu rpose was to eliminate the alcohol from the body. The treatment was vomit, ammonia and coffee. The treatment for second grade alcoholism was directed to the supression of the alcoholic intoxication and the cerebral or pulmonary congestion. They produced the gastric depletion with emetic substances, and in serious cases , with a gastric pump. If the patient was in a comatose state, "mustard pla sters" and vesicatories were applied to reanimate him. The use of local blo odletting and encephalic refrigerants were also recomemded. Mechanic resour ces were used to restore breathing. There were various treatments for third grade alcoholism, which was the wor st. Its differents clinical forms were delirium tremens, shakeness, alcohol ic hysteria, mania, lipemania and alcoholic monomania. The treatment includ ed the examination of the patient and the determination of the time the pat ient had not eaten. The treatment also included the hygienic and dietetic n orms of those times, that were directed to the strenght and sanity of the b ody. Popular medication consisted of chloral, chloroform, opium digital, va lerian, trementine essence and tonics. The prophilactic treatment was oriented to three groups, docile alcoholics, those addicted to alcohol and not alcoholic mad subjects. Doctors were sup posed to influence the family and recommend entretainment and the supressio n of alcohol to the patient. According to the antigen-antibody model an ant ialcoholic serum was produced. Chronic patients received attention at the h ospital. The first hospital was built in Boston in 1858. The ideal asylum f or receiving the various alcoholic treatments shoul be ample, luxurious and amusing.