An alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous from Robert Roberts.

In 1827 the book published by an African American appeared in Boston. With The House Servants Directory he sought to prepare the resourceful servant for any eventuality, including the possibility that a member of the household might have become a problem drinker. His cure is not catastrophic as the Trump advice to inject or drink chlorine bleach but would be very nearly as unpleasant. That, Roberts explains, is the point.

“To Cure Those that are Given to Drink”

“Put, in sufficient quantity of rum, brandy, gin, or whatever liquor the person is in habit of drinking, three large live eels, which leave until quite dead, give the liquor unawares to those you wish to reform, and they will get so disgusted against it, that, though they formerly liked it, they will now have quite an aversion to it afterwards; this I have seen tried and have the good effect on the person who drank it.”

Notes:

-Any fish might do but eels were cheap in 1827.

-Roberts displays a lot of qualities in The House Servant’s Directory , foremost among them an earnest desire to impart useful advice, but playfulness or humor is not among them. He also appears to be an honesty of approach based on his actual experience, so he likely is being truthful in claiming to have ‘seen this tried to good effect.

-There is a lot going on here. Note, for example, the unusual (for 1827) universal rather than masculine usage of the terms “person,” “those and “they.” Roberts had encountered female as well as male drunkards.