New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-17
WEDNESDAY, APRIL II, 1867.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
DIFFUSIBLE STIMULATES.
IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC TESTIMONY

| An investigation that nearly concerns all who
| take an interest in the great cause of Moral and
Social Reform has recently been brought to a
close in New England. The experiment OF leg
| islative enactments against the use OF liquor, as
| n cure for the vice of drunkenness, having been
fairly tried in the Eastern States, and the results
being less satisfactory than was expected, the
| LEGISLATURE of Massachusetts resolved to sum-
mon to counsel the most eminent men III lle
walks of science and in the church, and 10 IlSu-
| tute an exhaustive examination into all matters
bearing upon the subject OF prohibition. Inc
proposed investigation has been made, and It's
details are of great importance to society. Inc
weight of evidence goes to show that prohblt0ry
| liquor laws are, and always have been, utter
| failures in Il moral point of view, and also That
| the iRdiScrimindte prescription ofdtcoh0hc stmu-
ldRtS is rery far from Geingd Cise sanitary p0Hcy'
The medical evidence given before the Legis-
lative Committee was clear, logical and de-
cisive. The distinguished physicians whose
opinions were requested testified almost unani-
mously 10 the efficacy of alcoholic preparations
in the treatment of a large class of diseases,
and as a means of increasing the stamina and
improving the physical condition Of the de-
bilitated. 1t would occupy too much space to
reproduce III detail the statements OF Drs.
White, Bigelow, Jackson, Horsford, Clarke,
and others, but it amounted in substance to
this: that life is often prolonged by the use of
such spirituOus tones as Tetard those changes
in the tissues which are the natural result of
age; that stimulants of this nature, taken IN
proper quantities, often act as preserrdtces Of
health as well rs remedies for disease; that
| alcoholic agents assimilate with the system,
| and repair, strengthen and fortty 1t; that they
assist nature in her recOnstructlye laD0Is; mat
they help Digestion and are i'll themselves, to
q certain extent, nutritious that they never
produce disease except when taken i'll excess
| that they are extremely useful in lung COM
plants and of great value as respiratory food;
and that the detetc action of alcoholic COM
binatiOns is sometimes in the highest degree
salutary
These opinions, however, were based upon
the assumption that the stimulants employed
| be pure. The terrible evils which must neces-
sarly flow from the use of spurious and adul-
teIated liquors were admitted on all hands.
The great question, then, is, can a perfectly
pure and wholesome medicinal stimulant be OBJ
tanned and, if so, what is its name and naturei
| This inquiry was not made by the Alassachu-
! sets Legislative Committee, but 1t ought to
! have been. The witnesses could have told the
! Committee that HOsTETTER's STOMACH BITTERs
! had the full confidence of a large proportion OF
/ the profession. Had they been questioned as to
! the comparative merits of different kinds OF
alcohol, they would unquestiOnably have pro-
nounccd the article manufactured from rye the
most salubrious This is well known to be the
| opinion of a large majority of the faculty, and
| hence Monongahcla Whisky is used IN prefer
| encc 20 brandy, as a sample stimuant III all
or nearly all OF our public hospitals. The
! BnTERs referred to consist of the finest Rye
| Spirit medicatcd with some OF the most useful
vegetable tonics, Alternatives, and coucctiycs in
! the repertoire of modern pharmacy. X would
seem, therefore, that III all cases where alco-
holic conlbinationls are Necessary, whether as
detctc agents, stmuants, reconsructants, as
similants, neryines, or pulmonics, this prepare
! ton should bc prescribed. Everything depends
| upon the character and quality of the prepare
! ton used, and the unimpeached reputation of
| IlosTETrERs BuTERs for purity and whole
! someone's certainly entitle them to high rank
among standard remedies. 1t is much to bc
| regretted that the Massachusetts Legislature did
! not appoint scientific commission to test the
comparative purity and medicinal properties of
all the alcoholic stimuants IN use. As 1t is
neither possible nor desirable that the employ
mcnt of this species of medicinal agents should
be prevented by law, the public ought to be IN
structcd which of them to choose and Which, to
| avoid. The poiSOns of the dram-shops cannot
! il is quite clear bc good for any human being
| sick or well. The strongest constitution must
! succumb to their effects, while to the Invalid
/ they are literally muTderous.
/ distinguished statistician has il us his opn-
/ ION that if the sale of poisonous liquors could
/ he stoned, the mortality arising from intern
! ncrancc would be reduced more than onc-hali,
and the pecuniary burdens which the vice im-
noses on the community lessened in the like
proportion. Here, then, is a grand field for
nroctical philanthropy. Prohibition, if Bishop
Eastbun and other prominent clcrgymen are
! TO be believed, has augmented the evil. why
not change the character OF the moral war
against drllnkcnnessl Blind broadsides against
all dfusible stimuli having made matters
worse instead of better why not level the
artillery of Justice against adulterated liquors
only. Surely the law should not place honesty
and fraud in the same category. Open lire on
the liguor mixers-the men who sell compounds
of deadly drugs under the names of the various
liquors OF commerce. cree il Air. FIRST H rnte i Anon
Would it not be well to apply 1t i'll the interest
| of temperance , -
! Professional men who have made the human
system the study of their lives 9"ght, 70 hh hI
| whether alcohol is essential and Indispensable
in the practice of medicine or not. They say
1 il is. Nay, they even go further than that,
| and declare that i'll many cases ITS ludlclons use
tends to the preservation OF nealtn anu inc
,coll denv the UoDriety of "tpetOtallsmD as q