Dipsomania
a term denoting an insane craving for intoxicating liquors, when occurring in a confirmed or habitual form. It is often of hereditary origin, but may result from sunstroke, from some injury to the brain, or from disease. The only remedy appears to be seclusion, with enforced abstinence and healthy occupation. Homes for this purpose have been established in Great Britain under the Habitual Drunkards Act of 1879. A number of corresponding institutions have long existed in the United States.