The Dillon tribune., 1881-10-15
@isrella,,es.
DR.. Andrew clark On Alcohol.

DR.. Andrew Clark On Alcohol.
DR.. Andrew Clark lately delivered an
evening address on alcohol, in the Great
Portland Street-School rooms, London, 10
a crowded and deeply interested audience.
He said he purposed offering few inform
al remarks upon the influence Of alcoholic
drinks upon health, upon work, upo" dis.
ease, and upon the succeeding generation.
This question Of alcohol was Of the first inn
portance to US as nation and as individ.
uals, and hence great responsibility rest
ed upon those WHO protested to speak upon
it with authority. He yentured to say
that he knew something about this ques
ton. For twenty-five years he had been
physician to one Of the largest hospitals in
this country (he London HospitaI,
and there, as elsewhere, it had been part
Of his cuisines. in life to ascertain the influ
ence which alcoholic drinks exercised upon
health, and he had with deep interest and
attention striven to ge: at the truth Of the
matter. In the first place let him distinct
" say that alcohol was poison, as were
also strychnine, arsenic, and opium; but in
certain small doses strvchnine, arsenic, and
opium were useful in special circum.
stances, and in very minute doses alcohol
could also he used without any obvious
prejudiciai effect upon health. lie was not
going to discuss what these minute doses
were, save to say that they we're
,very minute. A perfect STATE Of health
land It was rarely to be found could not
be benefited BY alcohol in any degree, and
in nine times out OF ten it was injured by
1t. lie said this not as a total abstaner,
though he earnestly hoped that all the
rising generation would b. Instead Of the
ideal state of health which might be en-
joyed save the nature Of Our Surroundings,
the sins OF our parents, and Our own sins,
there was sort OF secondary health pos
sessed by most OF u, and what did alcohol
do for tliss
He had two answers to givc-that this
sort Of health bore apparently with alcohol
better than the other, and sometimes
seemed as if benefited by il, and thi, was
exactly the sort of health ti,at formed the
great debating ground OF different people
with respect to the use OF alcohol. Second
~, there were some nervous people ailing
yet never i'll, lor whom he had profound
sympathy, who seemed to derive great
sometimes said, flake Little beer or wine,
but take great care never 10 go beyond the
minute Dose" He did not defend this. but
simply stated it to show viva, he thought
As to the influence OF alcohol upon
work, ID. Clark welt on 10 encourage his
hearers to try the experiment otto,a! absti.
hence, and observe the result in regard to
work. Let them, however, try it fairly,
and not allow themselves to be deferred
from It by the evil representations OF
friends. lie Was certain That il this ex-
p.ri,nent were tried each individual pres
ent would come to the conclusion that al
cohol was not u helper Of work, but, on the
contrary, IA hinderer.
Now as to the effect cf aIcohal upon dis
ease. lie went through the wards OF his
hospital to-day ard asked himself how
many cases there were due to natural ana
unavoidable causes and how many to drink,
aud he came. after careful thought, to the
conclusion tina: seven out OF ten owed
their i'll health to alcohol. He did no, say
thOt these we've excessive drinkers or
drunkards-in fact, it was not the drunk.
ards who suffered most from alcohol, but
the moderate drinkers who exceeded the
physiological quantity. 1'he drunkartl
very often was an ab.taincr for months TO
gether after a period Of intemperance but
the moderate drinker wen, steadily to work
undermining his constitution, and prepar.
in. himself for premature decay and death
lie had no means Of finding out how n,an>
victims alcohol claimed each year. bu, Ger
tainlv more than three. tourths Of the dis
orders Of fashionable life arose from tn,
drug Of which he was speaking. FINAL,
DR.. Clark dwelt upon the Incredibly of tn,
alcoholic faint, and closed by saving tha
sometimes when he thought OF all this con
glomeration Of evils he was disposed t,
rush to the opposite extrcme-to give VI
his profession, to give up everything, am
to enter upon holy crusade. preaching t
all men every where to beware OF this en-.
my of the race.
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NJ. Bonchut's experiments with pepsin
for destro,in ing worms in the stomach an
bowels have been continued with good r,