The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-06-13
WINE AND THE PHYSICIANS.
SOME THINGS winch EvERynObY OUGnT 10
KNOW.

| brief notice OF the meeting OF tho Medical
Society OF the District OF Columbia ut Welcker's and
Of the address OF Mr.. G. a. Wctmorc, president OF
the National Nilicultura Associations on the subject
| OF adulicratcd wines, appeared In our last Issue,
| the atcncss of the hour on Saturday evening pre-
venting more extended report. This movement in
the medical profession, however, demands public
attention. The appeal made on behalf OF the vine
growers to q dlslnicrestcd body OF scientific men,
who are by practice and profession the leaders In
questions OF hygiene and sanitary reforms indicates
confidence In the merits of cause which must
command the respect OF legislators.
The measures relating TO spurious and aIulteratcd
wines now before the Ways and Means Committee
OF the House, agreed tn In the subcommittee and
before the Senate Finance Committee "a a proposed
| amendment to a pending revenue hill, have been
fully presented to the public All who are Interested
In the Industry OF genuine wines, as well as their
dark-antcrn opponents, have been Informed OF every
step that has been taken during the last six months.
Aftcr the closest scrutiny the proposed legislation
receives the unanimous Endorsement OF the state
Viticuliural Commission OF California the California
t,rape-growcrs' and Wnc.makcrs' Union, the Ma
tiona Nculiura Association, ana loca, associations
and vliicuiural leaders In New York, New Jersey,
virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
where vculturc IL looked toward for the develop
mcnt OF local resources. There are partisan poll.
Ties IN ,l,ls cause. Mt Welnore, the chief execu.
tive onlccr OF the California State Commission, who
Is Republican, has Just been reappolnlcd by Gov
ernor S!oncman, who is at the head OF Demo.
from the Governor on behalf OF the State to Pres-
dent Cleveland, commencing him and his mission
To the courteous attention OF the National Admlnis
,raton the bills presented TO Congress have ilrst
been carefully examined AMI revised In the Treasury
Department, and have been introduced in the House
III part by Hon. Wharton j. Green, OF North Caro-
lina and Hon. w. w. Morrow, OF California and In
the Senate by Senator Stanford, of California.
Both Representative Green ani Senator Stanford
are vnegrowcrs and their action ia In perfect har-
mony with the desires of this national Industry
wherever represented. and opposed only by swini.
ling operators. none OF whom dare to present their
case Openly before any committee OF Congress, but
tended TO oNsirnct legislation.
The State OF California has charged the state
Niicnllnral Commission with the duty OF dissent.
mating instructions on the rational uses AMI dangers
OF abuses OF fermenied and alcoholic beverages,
thereby cevatng its work above selfish considers.
tons. We havepnhshel from time TO time extracts
from reports OF the California Commission and cor
respondcnce with Government on,clals, the tenor OF
winch Indicate that the cause OF the vine growers ~
led before the public 10y educated men. who respect
their personal regulations AMI are resolved To win
public respect for themselves rs well as for their
Industry, being, ~ they are, uncompromisngly the
,lcernncd foes OF fraud, imposition AMI habits OF
nlempcrance. AZ an instance OF This henlihfnl tone
graphs from MIR. weimorc's las, Official report:
awhile improved facilities FOR trade and lncrcin.
tile competition have steadily reduced the prices
OF our wines to the retailer The constantly inrreas-
Ing demand and more critical taste OF consumers
have in IKE degree ADVANCED the prices paid ior
Ties granted by the law Tor bonding spirits have
rendered II practicable to dslill at reasonable pro.
tlts, aud so to relieve the wine markets in a measure
| OF inferior grades. The brandy law Is. however,
stl very detective. Wider facilities for transport
of packages, AMI rctllng loss 10y evaporation under
i,stilers stamps. are required. the producer has
s% s rss s TO so demand n o. ,hs as the
| turc,l before being compelled to sell them.
"rhe enforcement of u heavy tax on production
heforethe ,llsier has ma'ured his goods, and be.
fore he can place them on the market, enioraizns
the industry AMI causes vexations annoyances,
sometimes actual coniiscaion. Brandy Is no sooner
In bond than the owner Is looking Tor purchaser
fearing IA he does the danger of being caught at the
present law woud only he lust in case the Govern
meat should assume the cost of Manufacture when
II forces spirits upon the market The injustice of
enforcing confscatiOn tax on property which the
owner does not offer for sale or consumption Is NO
apparent that no unnrejudIced citizen can sustain
perance Is attributable to tho action OF the Govern.
ment. In England recently reform has been
agtated by friends OF temperance the principle
OF prohibiting the sale for consumption of any
spirits under three years OF age In this country
producers are compelled by the Government to sell
amount greater than the cost of production.
1.-THE policy OF enforcing high licenses AMI op.
pressing retailers by be-pnnrh taxes anl The ike
drains upon their revenue, which at the same time
permit unrestricted competition operates to reduce
the quality OF goods sold To the consumer There
would he grca; wisdom IN municipal regulations
based on careful calculations of tho cust0n neces.
slry to sustain retailers, by which the numner OF
saloons snould he limited according to the ascer
tancd consumption at such places In each comm.
ny so that excessive competition and taxes should
not force the sale OF the cheapest ana most Inferior
goods. Supplementary to snch regulations the peo.
pie have an undoubied right to demand strict super
vision to prevent imposition. In fact, II spirits
should he treated by the law rs products which
should not be sold In places of convlvial entertain
consuming ls often impracllcable by reason OF the
social conditions surrounding the act. hut which
should be limited to places where no consnmpon Is
the trade In Spirits Is Interested In the PROFITS the
wine AMI brandy producers would have no lust
cause for complaint. II the sale OF spirits Is prop.
ery regulated the producers would have inst cause
to complain against determinations and unjust tax
alton and oppression, both In their own behalf and
for the protection of consumers
"Present efforts of those who aim to diminish the
occasional evils OF intemperance are conducted on
the principle that the m my who innocent shall
wear straight Jackets in order that the foolish fe
may be restrained. The innate disposition for the
10 assume IN part the attitude of defending Intern.
perance. Wise regulations for the prevention oi
sonal liberty OF those who require legal restraints
would meet with The cordial support of the great
be 80 foolish as 10 anticipate any millennium nor |
TO Imagine that criminal ndnigences wouli be |
much less marked In the general average OF the |
people than they are now in the ranks of total alb
stanera. No real progress eau he made In reform
ing Incorporate habits Without curing ntemperalIce |
itself which IL habit OF undlsciplined mind rather
than any particular method of exposing the same |
The socalled inlemperance, by which word is
phase of Incorporate life; restraint OF one means
OF self.Indulgence does not cnre the cOmplaint
ihe abuse Of ALCOHOLIC drinks indeed oiten lie Ia.
tiuced by dis0fdered physical ana neriots lhldl- |
Iions of health due either To overwOrk, periods at
abstinence anu poor nutrition, continued and irrcGl.
sedentary occupations In badly ventilated apart.
ments, with long fasis hetweenmornng ana evening
OF natural appetite, low spirits, headaches and hi
ionsness, enforced id!eness for active minds and
unreslrhlncd criminal desires. The evils In these
cases lie deeper than in The occasional or hahimal
abuse OF alcoholic slluians; and the habit OF drink
ing sound dry wines at meals would cure most of
these or alleviate the misforinnes that arise from
unequal burdens OF life. In many cases an uncon-
trollnbc tendency to alcoholic eXcesses might he
cnred 10y the administration of dose of calonel aud
qnnine, followed by the free use OF clare alil water
at meals, and repetition of the antibilious treatment
as the tendency Ia intemperance recurs.
1T Is 10 the physicians and scientific students of
fe who do not expect any millennium, that society
To the wholesome restraints and discipline OF youth
In homes that permanent progress In social growth
ana healthtnlneas must be traced.
Ast0crlmnal nets committed during alcoholic ex-
cesses, we may assume that intemperance IL the
result OF criminal conditions Of the mind, which
sanity Who can lell whether Il. Is MI The insll8
disposition mat leads 70 ALCOHOLISM !
"a society for the pronlolian Of temperance from
truly scientific sianhpolniH ani free from tho in
the best interests OF the development Of Individual
character should he organized In this country. No
better model tor study cOnld he found than the
society which now lonrlsles IN France, while much
might he aided y VS. scope IN the way of dissent,
control and dlsciplinG.n
In appealing To tho medical profession in his ad.
dress before tue society of this District, MIR. Wemgre
stated tnat there was IN much OF selfish interest
apparently involved IN the advocacy Of legislation
which WAS demanded by the vine growers that 10 |
prevent misconceptions 1t became necessary to call
upon the proper representatives OF consumers, who
were really The most interested IN results, 10 show |
that public sanitary policy demanded prompt action |
by Congress- lie explained Tie nature of the peIii
ing bills, which involve two distinct propositions, |
VIZ;
Eirat-'i,he enforcement through an,eniatory pro-
Visions OF the existing law tsec a3ss, Revised |
Sihlhes) taxing spurious wines, In order that the
revenue stamps may serve IN a means To identity |
bogus wlnesand prevent Imposition as much as pos |
slble with special provisions for the absolute sun
PRESTON OF beverages containing authorizations
known 10 he positively deleiGIiOus "a pUhG uOalih
Second-The remission OF the Internal revenue |
TAX on pure grape spirits used necessarily In forlify
ing sweet wines (sucl as port, malaga, etc) to pre-
serve them from fermentation, with provisions |
chteinlly drawn to prevent the use Of spirits In |
other wines, which would only he done to facilitate
lnlposliiolls at the cost OF the public health.
without ms latter privilege the wine growers |
were Lhonlh'leI i,y rlasoN 81 The Va. IIom o.
llon WIN similar articles, when contained no
element, as 10 cost, from taxation, ANA II would he
also measure OF relief I'm the domestic market |