, 1884-07-02
To the Editor Of the St. CrOir Aris.

Should you find the enclosed clipping
from the i" Lancet" worth printing i'll your
paper, [ would beg to be allowed to accom-
pany it with a few remarks. The motive
for my sending it is not that | particularly
admire Mr.. WeStOn'S feat, | rather admire
his " feet, although naturally must admit
that one may marvel at, yes, admire, il one
will, the physical strength which is dis
played in walking 80 English miles daily
for leo consecutive days. The undertaking
itself seems to me, on the other hand, so
purposeleSS, that I would not OH that
ground have troubled you.
But what does appear to me of special
interest in tn S unique trial of strength is
that it has been accomplished son a sim
pie diet without any alcohol. an GER
tainly not in theory Il total abstainer, even
if, practically speaking, l do not fluid any
occasion to use alcohol myself in auy form
whatever az an article of daily conSump-
ton ont on the other hand, | am perfect
" convinced that no man i'll normal health
needs in the least degree to use alcohol in
any form whatever in order to preserve his
health and strength, or to carry on the
business of his lite, let it be ever so difficult
and of whatever kind, mental or bodily, or
both. A man may use alcohol as a means
of qualification, and in that case will use
it in the same way and with the same
moderation az a sensible man uses any
other means of qualification; we may find,
occasion, doubtless, to use alcohol under
pathological conditions, and MS a physician
l have frequently found good cause to pre-
scribe d regulated use OF alcohol but that
alcohol should be necessary to maintain
All already existent healthy condition, or
should be required as Il Stinulant 10 q
healthy organisation is what nave always
denied, and in this find an excellent sup
port in the life and example of Mr.. Weston.
On the day | landed in St. Cr0ix | was at
once told that it was very dangerous, par
t%lcularly for new Corners to drink water
alone, to be safe it must absolutely be mix
ell with brandy. In my IGNORANCE" |
declined to follow this advice, and have
now lived here l33 years without at any
time having drunk water otherwise than
unmiXed, except on the few occasions when
tor peace sake Il little brandy has been
added to it. May | be permitted to say
that this belief in the necessity Of mixing
alcohol or brandy with drinking water is
q superstition, like so much else, and may
l be permitted to say that alcohol has done,
now does, and probably will do for a long
time to come more harm than good? Let
him who is sensible take what profit he may
out Of this according to his inclination and
ability.
There is another belief about alcohol,
which also is very wide spread, besides the
belief that alcohol is necessary to preserve
the health and to satisfy the daily demands
of life. It is that which DR.. Moxon in the
article from the Lancet calls the thauma.
turgiCal power of alcohol, that is, literally
rendered, the power Of alcohol 10 work
miracles, by which is understood that a
man, with the aid, or under the influence
OF alcohol is in a position to accom-
plish greater achievements than otherwise,
is able, so to say, to exceed himself,
whether in a mental or physical direction.
Mr.. Weston's case affords an admirable
refutation of this view, as the Lancet also
rightly remarks. The belief in question
is very common, but there is involved in
it a guild pro quo. | shall illustrate this by
two examples, one in a mental and one in a
physical direction. When soldiers are
going on a long march it is as rule thought
necessary that they should carry a flask
containing something to give them strength,
that is, alcohol in one form or other. AbSo-
lutely considered this is entirely super
fuous. When in support of this view I
mint RI tha CASA of Weston - uin N