The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-06-06
WINE QUESTIONS.
The Rational Uses aud Dangers Of Abuses OF Fer
mcpted and Alcoholic Reyeragcs.

OF abuses OF fermcntcd and alcoholic beverages
especially Tor public instruction ana for such use In
the public schools as the State board of Education
may require. a standard work OF this Kind is much
needed. The act OF the california Legislature was
passed hy yca.ondnay vote unanimously by the
Assembly aud with only one negative vote In the
Senate, In this connection we believe that the tOl
lowing extract from the annual report VI Mr g. \.
Wctmorc the executive onlccr OF the commission,
viii he read with considerable interest:
France and California are so nearly alike In eN.
tent OF territory ana agricultural resources that 1t is
to her that we may look for the most instructive les
sons " experience. Dr Jules Guyoi tho celebrated
scientist, who was commissioned Ivy tho French
government TO make study ofthC vineyards otjnat
country with q view TO improving their conditions,
in the preface TO his great work, which employed
his undivided labor during our years, makes state
mens, which translate as follows:
The vine occupied In France, In l1sS, about $685.
600 acrcs In 1879, I,lJ,OOO acres; in lStg bIS2b0O
acres; In 1852 acres; ami since that time,
It's area has extended unit, reaches the figure, to-
tnan the half OF the total of the wlnc-produc-
ing vineyards OF the world a little more than
ave per cent. OF the entire territory OF France ana
the sixteenth part OF its arabic soil.
The gross product OF the vineyards OF France is
more than three hundred millions OF dollars their
culture employs and supports one million i've hun
dred thousand families, which means six millions of
Inhabitants and more than two millions of access
sorry operatives, transporters and merchants cons,i-
tutng together at least the MN of our population, aud
representing production AMI consumption of more
| than four hundred milton collars
The gross product of the vine constitutes 0uar-
ter of the total agricultural production, animals
included, realized from one.sixteen,h part of the
| arabic soil. This product Is, then mathcmatl.
cay, four times greater, according to surface COW
cred. than all the other cultures combined.
Wherever the vine ripeus Its fruit well, 1t doubles
the revenue OF estates large or small, In which its cul-
ture covers oneith OF the area II II s directed with
intelligence and receives care and fertilzng in pro-
| portion 10 what Is bestowed an other cultures
The culture OF the vine Is among the easiest,
simplest. and most lucrative. II yields remuncra-
| tive crops after the third year OF plantation. The
vine adaPts Itself to all geological formations; II
prospers In lands the most arid and the least favor
able to cereals crops. and hay; Is therefore,
by this fact, the complement OF all good agriculture
while II IL the silent partner OF the latter by
otthe money II prodnces-its strength and resource
10y reason OF the hands anh mouths that II supports
| Wine Is the most precious AMI energetic of all
alimentary drinks; lts habtnal use at the family
table saves third OF the bread ANA meat and.
than bread and meat, wine stimulates bodily strength
warns the heart, and develops the spirit OF socla
tennent In labor aud IN all action. No drink, beer,
cider, etc, can replace II in It's happy ana complete
| influence. Thus ought 1t 10 constitute soon the
aimenary drink Of all families, rich or poor, wher
ever civilization extends It's blessings.
The normal consumption of wine as food, in order
to give to human society Its full force ana activity
of mind and body should he at least equal to that OF
bread aud Its supplements that wenlj mean that
France alone should consume two billion siy hun
| dred and forty million gallons annually while yet
she produces only from one billion three hundred
million TO one billion six hundred million gallons.
| The great mind of Guyot enriched the agricultural
! wealth OF France by instructng the producer how
TO make the most of his resources. He set an en-
| ample OF study that has since been followed by
| many intelligent students, who are pertecting and
enlarging his theories OF practical culture and vni-
tication. This State Is now drinking deep at the
fountains Of knowledge discovered in their books
and Illustrated in practical experience. The era-
ture OF France and Germany to-day is worth TO us
more than many mines OF gold, and The students of
| al pl tianl IN mi
| industrial library.
| In 1873 investigated the condition AMI growth of
viticuture in France and ts influence upon the peo-
pie. found that during the decade preceding that
year, the average annual production of wine In that
| country had increassdto one billion 1--WE hundred
million gallons, estimated according TO the Amerl-
can, not the British wine measure.
| Thisprodlctlon hal increased in forty years from
an average of seven hundred million gallons by reason
probably, of diminished dlstillatlOn and improved
facilities for transportation well as by improved
culture and increased acreage planted In the most
fertile regions Foreign commerce dill not account
for the Increase, because during the period
| explorations increased only from an average OF
| thirty 10 an average OF sixty million gallons an
nually, and now mp1rtatOns are in excess OF eX-
| pDrtdtioni. The simple truth is, therefore, that
practically the entire wine product OF France Is
snmeh at home; nay, more, II has proved IA rail-
ways extended their lines. insufficient for home
demand, rs is shown by the Efforts Of dishonest
trade 10 swell the quantity bg ilslcarions aud the
| strong attempts Of the government to prevent the
same. As Guyot said, France needs more wine
than her vineyards supply aud. therefore. any im-
proved methods hy which the vines may bc made to
| produce more without exhaustion would prove a
national blessing As well as to adj profits to viii.
| culture
| In the course Of my Investigations into the inlu.
ence OF WINE prolu,,lon and consumption upon the
| mn nj hn I
suited the abest medical authority of both England
and France, AMI tho records of accidents, crimes,
suicides AMI insanity. became acquainted with
| some OF the distinguished men composing the So
| ciety for the Promotion OF Temperance in France,
| and, through DR.. L. Lunier, Inspector General OF
| the insane asyums aud of the sanitary conditions
OF the prisons OF that country, Secretary of the
clety was elected az one of IFS corresponding mem
bers am In possession OF all of It's printed reports
ana Oi the most important works published on this
subject by many OF the distinguished scientists ami
medical practitioners who are mDngi Its active
hers.
The statistical re3ourcas in France for the study
of these questions are remarkably accurate anu
complete. All fermenei AMI distilled beverages
are 80 taxed that perfect record of the consHmp-
ton per capita of clch kint In each department.
commune, city, ani town, eau be traced. The ia
bles prepared by DIR. Lunier show that the percent
ages Gf accidents, drunkenness, deaths, insanity
and suicides, attributable to a!cloc egce4ses, vary
directly In proportion 10 the consumption OF bee
| root, potato and grain spirits, and nversely in
proportion to the consumption of wine; that where
wine ij produced and consumed the most,
the consumption Of spirits decreases; that
red WINE districts show more f.vorahy than
the white; and that even Ia the brandy producing
districts OF Cognac tho relations hold good as com
pared with white wine consumption, and the habits
of the people do not lean to large use of brandy
arn
stratei as to the use of spirits cider beer and wine in
the order named, In proportion 10 quantity con.
snmcj, being the worst In the Of the first. and
least, II at all - he mentioned In the ease OF the
last. AZ Illustrations, compare the following:
Department OF the GirOnic, 0nclUding the mari
| time, commercial, api manufacturing City of Bor-
deanSN consumption p0r capita Ia iureS, per annum !:
spirits 8s; wine, 1893 elder, o; beer, 70 COnvc-
lions for drunkenness IN public, Tor each 10000 To-
habants, In l5,I-lsTj, $50; accidental deaths
attributed to alcoholic eXcesses for each 100 900
inhabitants Ia ls,2lsI5, o1i insanity attributed to
alcoholism, percentage Of each 100 committed, Ia
1s3I-ls59 and lsIiiSI6 l3 ~; suicides from alcohol
| Ism, percentage for each 100, 1860.
Department of Seine e.lnfcIieure under same heads
as preceding: spirits 10; wlne 81; cider, 70; beer,
800. CONVICTED Of drunkenness, I5Gs; accidental
| deaths, l.sli lnsalltY, ?l9j; suicides, 800.
Department of Calyaios, headings DO spirits,
$50; wine, 81; cider, 1894; Leer, as. Drupks,
2+Gj; accidental deaths, l.5i; insanity, 293I;
suicides, 1885.
Department Of Nord, headings do: Spirits i,d5;
wine o; cider ,002; beer, 29O. Drunss, 23g0; acc-
dental deaths, ~; insanity, s.is suicides 1885.
| Department of Charente. Qncludng the Cognac
ilslrlct) heiiines do, spirits 09li wine, 2.i2
cider, o. beer Slb. Drnnk., I47i accidental deaths,
| l.O6; insanity, l2.lT; suicides, 9.4a.
These Illustrate In brief, modified by occult ciuses
which. IN large cities aud manufacturing centres,
such as immoral habits, oNcitemens due To buslncss
and depressons due To misery, what may be desig.
mated as the relative ey results OF alcoholism as
shown In comparison with the popular beverages.
That practically no eyll results spring from the use
OF wine unmiGed with other drinks, Is shown by The
record OF
The nepariHani Of Auie, headings as before In
the case Of the Glronde. sElnta, O.QJ; wine 200
cider, o; beer, 5Ii Dfnnks, 5Oi accidental dei,hs
0.0s; insanity, 9,Os; suicides, 0.
That a low average PER- capita consumption OF
| wine, together with even as low an average as IN
Aqde with respect to other drinks, docs not effect
better showing, Is dcmOnslTaled by ihe record OF
| very abstemious population in
The department Of Ilapte'sayoie, Alpine Dlstrict