The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-02
BEER AS A BEVERAGE.

BEER AS A BEVERAGE.
A Drinking Habit That Produces IncaI-
culable Harm-Qpinions of Physicians
Life-Insurance Evidence.
There are many good people who
look hopefully on the figures which
show that the consumption of beer is
increasing faster in this country than
that of spirituous Equors-or, to use
two distinctive terms which have come
into the mouths of the people within
the past few years, there is greater
use of "soft" than of "hard" drinks.
1t is pitiful that there should be such
extreme ignorance of the real evil of
alcoholic drinks, whether brewed or
distilled To say that the beer habit
is increasing does not mean that there
is less drunkenness, for beer intoxi-
Gates, and its effects upon the drinker
are as serious in the end as those of
any other form of rum.
A New York reporter speaking of a
certain locality in the east side of New
York City, which is closely populated
by the working classes, remarks: "Out
of fifty women arrested here last sum-
mer, learned that thirty of them got
their first taste for liquor from beer :"
The havoc that is worked in our cities
among the working population by the
beer habit is comparatively unknown
to the American public, even in the
better quarter of the same cities. But
it is a fact that beer is more often the
beverage with avery large class than
even water. They buy it by the quart
at the doggeries and corner grocer
les, -" which may be found on every
hand in these densely-popuIated Sec
lions, each with a side door, with the
legend Family entrance, where
women and children may resort with
bucket or pitcher-a proceeding which
is slangily referred to as working the
growler."
The remark of the reporter above
quoted only adds one item to the proof
everywhere accommodating that the use
of beer by women has tendency to
create taste for stronger stimu-
lants. The danger in this direction is
increasing in all our cities, and it is
one of the most alarming features of
social disorder A beer-drinking
mother becomes careless and neglect
full of her children, and her example
to them is most pernicious. A wife
spending her husbands wages for beer
is apt to be deceitful, and she robs
home to crafty her habit
The wreck of many families can be
traced to this evil cause, and the talk
of which we heard SO much a few years
back that lighter drinks would kill out
the desire for stronger ones has turned
out exactly the opposite. This beer
habit has made the risk of marriage
and Of making homes by wage-earners
greater than heretofore, and there can
be 40 calamity equal to that of adding
difficulties to the problem of civiliza-
ton in this direction.
Aside from this moral deterioration
of the victims of the beer habit, the
destruction of the homes of the people,
and the incalculabie evil done to the
children thus familiarized in early life
with drunkenness and its inevitable
concomitants. poverty and misery,
there is great bodily harm resulting to
those who in dulge. There is wide
spread belief, which is utterly
erroneous, that beer is a wholesome
drink, and that it is to some extent q
food Nothing could be further from
the truth. The champions of beef
point to the fact that the English labor
ers use beer largely as beverage.
This Is true, but there is wide differ
ence between their beer and the kind
made by American brewers. The per.
centage of alcohol in that made here
is very much greater. and it is doc
tored with various kinds of chemicals
that render it a poison. 1t may be in
st uctive to quote the opinion of ply
sicians upon the evils of beer drinking.
Dr. w. H. Mays. superintendent OF
the Stockton Insane Asylum, Iowa, in
his report to the State Board OF
Health, has the following on the use
of beer:
Nothing will lower the vital forces so stead
fly aud surely, nothing will degenerate the or
ganic tissues so rapidly, as the use of beer ev
cry day and year after yea VSIt coarsens q
man in appearance, in morals, in mental
fiber, in physical constitution. 1t is more pro
ductiye of brutality, sensualism and the lower
forms of crime than is whisky-drinking. 1t ia
this beverage Of the Bill Sykes, OF the vulgar
ruiiian, the bestial tramp
Many of the older readers of the
Blade will recall the testimony of sew
eral leading physicians of Toledo
against the use of beer, published in
these columns several years ago.
These opinions were so strong, howev-
er, that we reproduce the more strik-
ing portions:
DR.. s. H. Bergen (thirty- five years practice)