Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-11-15
d. School Text Book on Alcohol. go

Whether the use ofalcoholic compounds
as a beverage is in fac. wise or unwise,
wholesome or unwhnlesoma, certainly all
persons Of every shade of belief, and every
variety Of practice, and deeply interested in
knowing the precise physiological effect
of such beverages -thtl is, the action of
alcohol upon the hnmm system. The
habitual use of alcohol by large portions
of the human race. lacks little of being the
most important fact in the world o.dav, for
there are few other facts so fur reaching
in effect
If such habitupl use is goal thing, we
all need to know it in order that we may
be uni.eh in that use. tit is 4 bad thing
we should certainly ha warned against il
so fur as facts scientifically ascertaned
can serve as n warning. No citizen Gun
object TO the instruction of the people and
the peoples children on this subject with
out confessing in advance that such in
struclion will tend to upset thh Obiac.or's
own theory or interfere with his business
interests. SO palpably absurd would such
position be that no respectable opp Isl
tion is made to the introduction tito pub
lie schools of text books which, from a
purely scientific standpoint, treat Of ny
gieno in its relations to the use of alcohol
The board of education of Minneapolis
yesterday followed the example of many
older cities in directing the use of such II
text book in our public schools, and
wisely, ~ we think, selected the unpre-
,cniouS but thoroughly admirable work
prepared by Il. o. Beard, NJ. d. DR.
Beard is one of the most competent and
thorp1frbIXy "A ,,b11ioiapa 81
younger members of the profession in this
country. lie has recently removed from
Chicago 10 Minneapolis, and he coulJ
scarcely have Il more favorable ntroduc
tion to this public than is furnished by
the excellent volume which bears his
name. The use of this text book, or some
equally satisfactorily one, ought to be at
an early day extended to the higher
grades in our schools, and we assume that
this is contemplated. The book in ques-
tion has been carefully adapted to the
needs of our common school teaching, and
is intended TO be placed directly into the
hands Of the children. 1t presents the
physiology of the temperance question in
new and simple form-combining the
utmost scientific accuracy with the sim
plicity required for its comprehension by
children Of the age it is expected to reach,
and in this respect supplies n long existent
need in its particular field. In brief, it
introduces its special theme with study
of actual human needs, and on the basis
of the facts thus ascertainod it submits the
use of alcohol in the human body to the
test of its applicability to the supply of
these needs. 1t then considers in detail
the character of natural food .nd drink :;
gives clear definitions OF hose terms; :;
contrasts the nature of huiu IN food with
that of substances destructive OF life or
injurious to health and nstrucls the pupil
in the uses of food and water in the human
body. Following these topics it studies
the question of artificial food and drinks
the nature of alcohol and its action upon
man. In the concluding lessons the
author discusses the claims of alcohol to
be considered as a true food or an active
poison, its value as Il medicinal agent, its
action in sustaining or reducing vital
heat. and finally, its influence in the pro
ducton of disease and death. 1t seems to
be as entirely free from scientific bias as
such work can be in the hands of one
whose prior investigations have convinced
his judgment of the place which alcohol
should occupy in its relations to the hu-
man economy. The subject is crowded
within limits somewhat too narrow for so
large a theme, and the work itself sug-
gcsts a necessity for the supplementary
use of 4 more advanced text book in the
higher grades. We find lack, doubtless
somewhat difficult to supply, of object
forms or illustrations 10 impress the sub
ject matter of the lessons, and the teacher
will find it well to bring his or her
ingenuity into play in their elaboration.
DR., Beard has fortunately steered clear
of all disputed points in his statements of
the place and character accorded TO
alcohol by the great mass of medical and
general scientific obseryer5-derling only
with well proven or fully conceded facts.
In his conclusions DR.. Beard accord, with
DR.. b. w. Richardson of London, VII. Sc
larger and more advanced work has been
introduced in the schools Of eastern cities
-NiHpcapoljs Ti5Hac.