St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-05
DRINKING IN SWITZERLAND.

A short time ago the federal council OF
Switzerland resolved to undertake search
ing inquiry into the consumption of alcoholic
drinks in that country with view to setting
the facts in their true light in order that leg
islation might compass all that was necessary
in regulating the liquor traffic. Switzerland
is great wine producing country, the vine
lands of the confederation covering an area
of "a, 100 acres and yielding annually over
%, 100000 gallons. In addition to this
Switzerland is an extensive user of foreign
spirits and wine, the report of the council
showing that the importation of spirits is in
creasing faster than the imports of wines.
AS for the cheapness of spirits it is sufficient
to mention that in Canton Berne two decali-
tres of schnapps containing 6oz., s dr.. )may
be bought for one penny-that is to say, Tor
about the same price as the beer of the coun-
try. The federal council presents an inter
esting table compiled from the latest returns
showing the consumption per head in divers
countries of spirits, wine and beer. The
figures in this table are in contradiction with
several widely prevalent ideas. They show
that Northern nations are not the thirstiest
and that as compared with European coun-
tries Canada and the United States touch
alcoholic drinks quite lightly France is of
all nations the largest consumer OF alcoholic
drinks; next come Belgium and Switzerland
almost neck and neck. Denmark makes
good fourth, while England ranks fifth and
Germany sixth, Canada and Norway being
the only countries that fall below the United
States. IN Switzerland there is more actual
drunkenness than in France, for, as shown
by the council, they drink more spirits, and
owing to the absence of any official super
vision over the distillation and sale of
schnapps, the spirits mostly retailed in the
public houses are adulterated, fiery, full of
impurities and very injurious to health One
of the remedies proposed by the council
against the abuse of spirituous liquors is to
provide against their adulteration.
A singular and suggestive fact brought
out in the message is that, contrary to the
generally received theory, there seems to be
no direct connection between drunkenness
and the facilities for drinking. Two
maps are given side by side, one colored,
80 as to show the proportion of deaths
from alcoholism in every canton Of the Con-
federation the other shaded, so as to show
the number of taverns per 1000 inhab-
itants in the same district. The canton in
which there are the most deaths-1O.1 per
1000 of the total number certifed-is Solo
thum, and in Solothum there are 8 public
houses per 1000 Inhabitants. In Thurgan,
on the other hand, with II public houses per
1000, the proportion Of deaths from alco-
holism is only 0.9 per 1000; Granbuden
with 10 public houses per 1000 has 81
deaths per 1000; while. Berne with S.3 per
1000 has only taverns per 1000. In Ticino
1t is just the reverse, 10 tayerns and death
rate of 13. The same in Canton Schuyz.
The only canton in which the number of
public houses seems to have any relation to
intemperance is Neuchatel, where there are
per 1000 and the deaths 1912 per 1000.