, 1874-07-21
THE IsOTHERMAL THEORY OF INTEMPER
ANGE

ANUE.
Tho iaothor1nal theory Of intcinporance was
first scientifically defined by tho Massachusetts
Doard Of Hoalth in its report for 1871. Its Chair
man, tho wcll-known DR.. Bowditch of Boston,
contributed to that report paper in support Of
this thoorom:
1uteuporanco provails tho world over but It Ia vory
raro at the eqnator. The tendency Increases accord
ing 10 latitude, becoming moro frequent, and more
brutal aud dsagtroua in It's effects on man ami 3d.
cicty, as no approach the northern regions.
BY collating correspondence from many points,
Dr. Dowdltch came to the conclusion that mau
would drink something alcoholic; TINT q euro for
his inclination to drink could not be found; and
that tho bost prevention consisted in tho supply
Of bacE, ale, and light vino. to tue exclusion Of
liquor, properly ao-callod. We have commended
this theory, from time to timo, as one which was
supported by many facts and which wus 8
needed instance Of scientific sreatment Of q sub.
iect that has dofed religious and political con-
troll
| Certain woll-moaning advocates Of tho StatNs
enacsing an Eleventh Commandment, ''Thou
shalt not drink" Lave found in tho "details wo
E4f8 NN Cuut4h4 VI 1tVluPtIAAEH-lpAukA AA 0HG1cl1
| and in tho recently reported fact Of growing IN
toxication In Japan crushing arguments againat
tho isothcrmnl theory. "Swodou," thoy gsy,
"is north Of tho line Of 80 dog. moan an
nual temperature, which, according to this
theory, marlss tho southern limit Of the zono Of
drunkenness; yet Sweden Is throwing OF tho
| vice. japan is aouth OF that line; yet japan ia
| acquiring 1t. The idea is therefore nonsense"
| Tho obtectora arc too confident. Tho runners
Of tho isothermal theory did not consider it as
tho statement Of grinding, Inevitable fact.
which, as tho Baltimore AMERICAN puts 1t,
"doomotl Sweden to eternal drunkenness"
| They regarded 1t as the statement Of o tendency,
which might be modified by race, education,
| legislation, and other causos. Dr. DoWdisoh, In
summing up bis essay, saya:
| Intomperanco iR modified by race. +. Races
may he educated to evil by bad lava by the intro
ductIou Of bal hatlts. race. when It emi-
crates, CARRIES Its Aabits with It, aud, for time ut
least, those habits muy override ali climatic law
These, md other. qualifications, all Of then,
fully expressed by DR.. Dowdtch himself. Bervo
to explain tho exceptions to his rule. Take tho
two ouses already cited, Sweden aud Japan.
Drunkenness has decreased In tho former under
regulating, not prohibiting, laws, undor careful
measures to secure purity in liquor, under o
higher tone Of public opinion Oh the question Of
drink. AL thoso agencies for the suppression Of
the vico are mentioned by DR.. Dowditch. The
story about intemporauco iu japan resolves itself
into the fact t!las English md American sailors
have boon repeatedly arrested in Yokohama fos
crazy druukounass. Tho final sentence Of oug
lust quotation from the Board Of Hoalth'a re-
port explains this exception to tho rulo. That
rule is not by tho way, that thero is no drunk
onuess below tho iBotltcrmal line of 30 dog.
md eternal drunkenness above It, It Is that
this ylco IL moro common above than below, aud
that tho farther from tho equator G. nun IyoH
tho moro likely lle ia to drink to execss.
We have bcon thus particular in meeting the
objections to tho sothormal theory, drawn from
Sweden aud Japan. because that theory forms,
as we have said, almost the only nttompt at sci
cntifo troatmout Of subject Which belongs
wholly to science and not at nil to religion o,
poltics,-as tho word "politics" is used now
No nun who bus not studied lint theory Is CON.
potent to holp framo liquor law, yet we
doubt whether one out Of . hundred Of tht
Legislators who hive latoly been busy in making
such laws has ever hoard Of the isothorual tho
ory Of iutemperanoo. The adjective would prob
ably floor half Of them at tho outset.