Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-01-19
TEMPERANCE READING.
Erects OF Alcohol Upon Health.

Effects OF Alcohol Upon Health.
As to the effect Of alcohol upon human
health and vigor, so fearful is the record, and
so repeated and almost universal is the testi-
money, that we need not to repeat much OF
it. Perhaps the most convincing recent evil
dence is that of the returns of vital statistics
of the Registrar-G General Of England and
Wales, for the ten years from 1870 to 1880 in
elusive. These are contained in the supple
ment of the Forty fifth Annual Report 1885,
in which are tabulated the facts as to two
million six hundred and seventy nine thou
sand four hundred and sixteen deaths. These
are the results of unimpassion fguress gath
cred outside Of the records Of ,ReformiSocie- y
ties:
1.-THE mortality Of men who are directly
concerned in the liquor trade, as brewers, inn
keepers, publicans, inn and hotel servants,
and masters, is appalling. The comparative
mortality figures are as follows, 1000 being
used as a standard: Brewers, 1851; all deal
ers in spirits, Wines or beer, ,521 inn and
hotel servants, 2,2O5. For malsters, who are
only concerned with the materials and not
with the liquor itself, the figure is $780,"
The report proceeds as follows:
alt is WELL whenever the opportunity offers
ITSELF to test the accuracy Of our death rates
by comparison with data derived from inde-
pendent sources, and in the case of the inn
keepers and publicans such comparison ID
possible. By the experience Of the Scottish
Amicable Life Assurance Society tlS26-1S76l,
the mortality Of males occupied in this busi-
ness was sixty-eight per cent. in excess Of the
actuaries' or E-althy male table. and forty
nine per cent. In excess of English life table.
The result tallies very closely with figures in
our table, where it appears that the mortality
of the innkeepers rs and pEblicans is fifty-twoper
cent. above the present mortality OF all
males.
'sThatthis terrible mortality is attributable
to drink might be safely assumed q P'fort,
but the figures render it incontestable. The
mortality attributed to- alcoholism Is far
higher for innkeepers and publicans than for
any other industry, and mere than five times
as high as the average; that for brewers falls
far short of this, but nevertheless is the next
highest to that of innkeepersy with the single
exception of cabmen. Under the heading,
Liver Diseases" the mortality Of inn
keepers is no less than six times as high an
the average and more than twice as high as
that of brewers, and Of butchers, who come
next in order in this respect to innkeepers.
= There are in short, no organs APP
| parently that are not more or less seriously
| damaged by the excessive use OF alcoholic
drinks, though the liver appears to suffer the
| most
ut may also be worth noting that COM
| parison betwe en- Mr.. Nelson's figures ana our
| own comparative mortality figures shows
Gnat b large pTOpOTUOH VI InelHuAccpcIo anu
/ puhlicans and of the brewers, must be OF
temperate habits: for whereas the ccmpara-
| tive mortality figure of innkeepers in our
/ table is 1871, and that of brewers is ! 1851,
| that for recognized intemperate persons, ac-
cording to Mr.. Nelson s data would be !, ,24O. !"
Their desire for profitable business often
helps TO restrain innkeepers from drunken
ness While the tables show the greater evils
of distilled liquors, the wine and beer DEATH
rate is enormous
Such is the excess Of death-rate among
those whose business interests help to restrain
them frcm drunkenness.
At he same standard, the morality figure
for clergymen shows the contrast Of 556; for
gardeners, o; for farmers, 631, and for agri-
cultural laborers, 70l.
In addition, the statisticians say that the
excessive mortality in many other callings,
as that of cabmen, etc, is one to be ac-
counted for by the use Of alcoholic liquids,
although this ss not stated as the cause.
Here are some of the statistical commenUs:
Commercial travellers, who lead mostly
an out -of-door existence, have mortality OF
94S. That very considerable proportion Of
the mortality is due to this cause is apparent
when it is noticed that under theheadings
"Alcoholism,n "Liver Disease" "G0ut,
stSuicide," the mortality figures for this oc-
cupation come very high up on the list The
death rate of tailors 1,O51, and that Of shoe
makers, 961, are both high While both
trades are sedentary, and somewhat uE
healthy, much of the excess arises from
those diseases which point to alcohol as
cause"
These are but specimens ofrvery many
other emp!oyments in which the statistica
record points to an excess OF diseases II
which, in the opinion Of the statisticians
the high proportion Is mostly 70 .
nfto,, bxy thoaa vvlO wQrQ NOT REGARDED al
intemperate.
In different persons different organs seen
to feel the severity OF the disturbance, bu
all are more or less weakened. Authoritie
may differ in their estimate, OF cause
winch have produced embarrassing ant
, finally fatal changes in various secretin
and excreting organs; but we believe n
one has vet been found to dispute the un
] rivaled capacity Of alcohol to produce irr
, tative and degenerative changes IN "a
minute capillary circulation on whicn Ut
integrity and ability of the vital organ
depend. This does not absolutely Ietire
. from use in the hands OF the skiileo phys
\ cinn in emergencies of disease, any mor
tIan IL does opium, belladonna, or corr
siya snblin,ate: but it does certify ths
8 alcobol il the most riskful Of drinks in a
tbst relates to the circulation of the bloc
/. in those orgars whose vitality and functic
!, depend on the periectness OF their capl
! Il larry circulation. 1t is essentially di
!. turber of the rhythm and the function OF Il
9 blood-fow. Independent.
= The Worlds w. Q. T. y. petition place
l. in circulation in Ceylon by the Misses Leitsc!
e missionaries at Oodooville, received lb,Ol
K signatures within six weeks, many Of q
natives signing their names with prays
for the success Of the work.