The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-18

tive manner to the unWlSdOm, harmfulneSS
and danger of the habitual use of alcoholic
drinks. What ] have said will be sufficient,
| think, to relieve the W. G. i. Union from
the odium sought to be fastened upon 1t by
the Maine Board of Health, whose position
in this matter is not unlike that of the man
who applied fol-. the place Of coachman., In
reply to a question, he said he could drive
safely within an inch Of a precipice- His
Irish competitor said: "And is it how near
| would drive, your honor? Faith, I'd keep
as far away as | could" The w. G. T. I'm
ion thinks that the wisest and best. while the
Maine Board of Health thinks it safe and
wise to shave the edge of inevitable destruc-
ton, if indeed, they admit there is any harm
or danger in the habitual use of alcoholic
drinks. submit whether the Union is not
abundantly justified in falling TO teach the
children of our schools that the habitual use
OF alcoholic drinks is wise, safe and harmless.
The whole object of temperance teaching
in the public schools is to impress upon the
minds of the pupils the tremendous harm
and danger coming from the alcoholic habit
g. Yes, the Union denies that alcohol is a
food, as the Board of Health affirms it to be,
and they follow in this, the teachings of the
most eminent medical men in England and
IN TINS country, saving always the members
OF the Maine Board of Health. There is no
higher authority than DR.. B. W. Richardson
OF London. He says:
"Alcohol has no claim In a scientihcsense to be
CONSIDERED as a SuStainer either of bodily or men-
tttl VI WOIk l1eTc Is OOLllnS dlcONOl That
can build up any tissue or supply any force Aleo-
hol is the most useless and most mischievous of
all agents within the reach of men, and the show
ing up OF this is TO promote good which extends
beyond our own time. may be asked whether
there may not be some corresponding good coming
from these drinks, as offset to the evils which
have ascribed to them. l reply, their effect is
always bad"
Sir VIM. Gill, a imedical man of the high
est position in England, las witness before
committee OF the House of Lords, inquiring
into lntemperance and its cure, answers to
the Duke of Westminster, who asks him:
"May not glass or two of wine be taken with
overwork ?''
mo. often suffer from WEAKNESS of oyerwork
but never take alcoholics as a remedy. For
many years my practice has been in such cases, to
eat raisins."
These three doctors are at the head of the
medical profession in England with DIR. Car
penter, DR.. Clarke, physician in ordinary
to the Queen, DR.. Kerr, DIR. Edmunds, DR..
McCulloch, DIR. Munroe-who are all thor
oughly in accord that alcohol has in 1t no
element OF food and can supply no need of
the human system The w. c. L. Union NAV
safely follow the lead Of such authorities and
not that Of the Maine Board of Health. DR..
~. ). Davis of Chicago, an eminent physi
clan, says:
'The steady use of alcohol shuts out the life
giving oxygen from the vital organs and leads
them to premature decay and DEATH Alcohol
cannot be made into flesh and blood; 1t debilitates
instead of strengthening and tears down instead
OF building up. 1t is falacy that the human sys-
TEN is ever benefited by alcohol
l may safely leave the three objections of
the Board OF Health here people will judge)
and take up the worst part of their attack
upon the W. c. t. Union. The Board says:
"The W c. T. Union gives rabidly one sided
views OF the alcoholic question and are intempe-
rate of speech"
This is said Of the ebook:published by them.
l'deny the charge, and say there is not one
word In 1t which can give the faintest shad-
ow OF colorlng to it. 1t is calumny that cam
not possibly have any motive but to injure
the Union In public estimation. The book
is approved by DR.. A. b. Palmer, who is a
professor of pathology and practice of medi-
cine, and Dean of the Department of medi-
cine and surgery in the University of Mich
igan at Ann Arbor author of a treatise on
The Science and Practice OF Medicine"
DR.. Palmer says:
81 have examined the manuscript Of this book
ana md 1t covering more matter than l think
should 3 6e taught IN the elementary lessons on life
other works, with similar objects, which have
had occasion to examine,
IL IS Tree from the errors which have been no.
ticed and objected to in several other works on
thls subject designed for school use.
also think it free from such .overstatements as
are likely to be produced by ardent zeal.
IL al tne iacts contained in this little work are
frmiy lodged in the minds Of the pupils Of our
public schools throughout the country an i'm
mense work for good will be accomplished"
The Board of Health greatly mistakes in
supposing the people of Maine will stand by
upmoved spectators of its attempt to malien
and break down the W. G. I. Union. The
people will inquire, who are these men and
what are they doing except 10 cry up habitu-
al moderate drinking and cry down those
who think it unwiSe and unsafe.
The animus of the Board of Health
think may be seen in this statement by the
chairman, speaking of the book.
"Oyerstatements of the injuries produced by al
coh0l and suppression OF denial of its benefits are
10 say the least, neXpedlent. 1t seems to me un-
fortunate that a number of books written to sup-
rious, should be blemished by such excess of as
sertion on the one hand and deficiency on the
other"
Mr.. Gladstone on the floor oflthe House of
Commons said:
'We have suffered more from ntemperance
IMAM from war and famine combined"
Charles Buxton, member of Parliament,
said
There are in this country more than five hun
dred thousand homes where home happiness Is
unknown, as the result of intemperanee and hun
dreds OF thousands Of people in condition of ex-
reme misery from that cause'
Temperance men and women the world
over, declare that the evils of intemperance
are vast as eternity and boundless as infinite
space; but the Maine Board Of Health is
greatly concerned for the reputation of alco-
hol as, in its opinion, it is a safe, useful and
beneficial thing for people to take as an ha-
bitual drink. NEAL, Dow