Transcript from original newspaper article: -

SOBRIETY OF THE GREEKS.

– The food of an English laborer would be enough in Greece for a family of six persons. The rich are well satisfied with a dish of vegetables for their meal; the poor with a handful of olives or a piece of salt fish. The entire population eats meat at Easter for the whole year. I do not believe a Greek ever died of indigestion. Drunkenness so common in cold countries, is a rare vice with the Greeks; they are great drinkers, but water drinkers. They would have scruples about passing a fountain without drinking at it; but if they enter a tavern it is to chatter. The coffee houses of Athens are full of people, and at all hours; but the customers do not take strong liquors; they ask for a cup of coffee at a penny; a glass of water, light for their cigarettes, a newspaper, and a game of dominoes; they then have enough to keep themselves occupied for the day. In two years I have not met with a man dead drunk in the streets, and I believe it would be easy to count all the drunkards in the kingdom. I may be said that the Greek people have no inclination for any kind of excesses, and that they take all their pleasures with equal sobriety.

This sobriety naturally explains the fact that insanity is rare in Greece. Madness also is a malady exceedingly rare in the kingdom. An hospital for the blind has just been constructed in Athens; it will never be necessary to build one for madmen.