The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-07
FRIENDS OF TEMPERANCE.

Meeting Under the Auspices OF tho Ma
tional Temperance Socicty-An Ex-
haustive Address ON Alcoholism" by
DIR. willard Parker-Inebricty q
Disease-The Reform TO Begin with
the Upper Glasses.
Another conference OF the friends of Temperance,
called by the National Temperance Society, was
held at the rooms OF the Young Mems Christian
Association yesterday afternoon. Mr. A. Stearns,
the Corresponding Secretary, called the meeting
to order, and stated that Mr.. william E. Dodge
would be absent for half an hour or an hour. He
invited Mr.. Aaron M. Powell to take the chair
during Mr.. Dodge's absence. Mr. Powell said,
after one Of the reverend gentlemen had offered
prayer, that they had among them one OF the
most eminent physicians OF the city, who would
speak on the subject OF Alcoholism"
DR.. WILLARD PARKER was then introduced. He
commenced by saying that 1t was half century
since this movement had been flrst agttated. II
seemed that there had been TOT the past year in this
been before The fact was that they were going back
ward instead Of going forward. For the last eight
the conclusion that inebriety, alcoholism, was q
disease. Occasional drunkenness was not dis
ease healthy man could reira sd rom drinking,
1t. Men who had fallen prey to inebriety would
promise, with tears in their eyes, not to drink
another drop, and in the next moment they would
70 into the next saloon and drink. The question
came up, What can be done ?"
The speaker, IN continuance OF his discussion OF
the subject argued that alcohol was as poisonous
beadonna or arsenic, and referred to scientific
authorities as his proofs. He then supported with
great earnestness his theory that inebriety was q
disease and favored the system Of asylums for the
peer creatures afflicted with this vice. He gave
some interesting statistics regarding IL. The aver
age young man who was well 1t twenty had an
average or forty-two years Of life, while social
drinker haA an average OF thirty-hve L. then, the
Legislators understood this, they would Iegislate
against drunkenness as they would against cholera
or the yellow fever. In 1871 5000 were spent
in this country In lquor&15 apiece for every man,
woman and child. He hoped that reform would
begin with the best society," the upper strata that
they would be the first instructed in this matter,
and that Congress would appoint o commission,
composed OF the ablest men OF science, to invcsti-
gate the subject Of tnebrfety. -
Mr.. STBARNs then offered the following resOlu-
TONS which were adopted:-
Resolved That the opinion of this Conference total
abstinence from all alcoholic liquors. A. beverage,
physical and mental health and vgor.
Resolved That regard alcohol whether In the form
Of distilled spirits brandy, whskey wine, beer and
cider pure adulterated essential poison that
those should be used only for medicinal purpcsea
Resolved, That we deprecae and denounce the traffc
in socalled patent medicines In which alcohol 10 large
Ingredient tending to njure the public health and 70
resolved That we earnestly entrest the members Of
the medical oesson the especial guardians Of the
public health teach by example and precep the lesson
OF total abstinence from all alcoholic stimuanfs
beverage and thus promote the true and permanent tenn
perance reformation.
| AFTER lengthy discussion on various points o.
] Dr. Parker's address the meeting adjourned.