Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-18
THE DRINKING HABIT.
Some Eminent Medical Authorities
- Talk Upon the Subject.
ALL ARE OPPOSED TO ALCOHOL.
Those Who Live on Stimulants Will
Eventually Break Down.
SOME LIGHT WINES NOT UNHEALTHY
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH. 1

to make their fortunes quickly, and they
want to make for themselves a good social
position. To do this they work almost
| night and day, and during the few hours
they are not working they are thinking
and planning about their business. To
keep in this constant state of excitement
they are obliged to take stimulants. The
result of this is that after awhile they
break down entirely. This is why we hear
of SO many cases of paresis, mental prostra-
tion, and hear of so many prominent busi-
ness men being ordered TO take several
months rest. At least this is the verdict
of several prominent physicians of this
city.
DR.. Louis A. sayre, prominent New
York physician, was seen recently, and
chatted about the drinking habits of people
of this country. He said: "As far as
have been able to see, the drinking habit
of this country is now at about standstill.
1t doesn't seem to grow any more, and the
temperance people don't seem to be able to
decrease it. The habit is considerably
changing, though. Men are beginning to
drink
MORE HEAVILY OF Lfo UoRs,
and am sorry to say that great many
women, too, are partaking OF these highly
injurious decoctions. The most injurious
OF these drinks, in my estimation, is absin-
the. This, if drunk habitually, will COM
pletely upset the nervous system. Other
drinks that are very injurious are vermouth,
and drinks of that class; gin, bad whisky,
brandy, etc. Drinking alcoholic drinks is
habit that nearly everybody can dispense
with Thn har II xu1,A hoxyn 60
drink, or who have to take stimulant, is
very small. And many who say that they
couldn't live without drink if they were to
try would find out that they could get on
a great deal better without it than they can
with it.
"If a man must drink, the best thing he
can take with his meals is little claret or
light Rhine wine, and if he wants some
thing little strong, pure Scotch whisky is
the best thing he can have. The habit of
taking drink early in the morning.
mean by drink a cocktail or stimulant of
that kind, commonly called an eye-opener-
is one of the worst things that can possibly
be done. The effect of alcohol is to infame
the stomach. and it will do this even when
diluted with food or anything else, and will
do so great deal more when taken on an
empty stomach early in the morning. Men
should not maintain their strength through
out the day by taking stimulants. To keep
up by means of alcohol is very bad, and bv
and by the system will break down entirely
under it.
SIN some cases it is absolutely necessary
to q man to take o certain amount of stimu-
liant, but it should be avoided just as much
as possible. The best drink that a man can
possibly take is milk. Milk, though, is
hardly drink. One can live longer on
milk than on any other one thing. Milk is
more nearly perfect food than anything; il
contains more elements that go to build up
the system than any other article. If man
can take milk he can't take too much of it,
until he finds he is getting too stout then
perhaps he should stop. There can be no
deleterious results from drinking milk. Early
in the morning the best drink to take is
water. That is, if one must drink; but if he
can get along without drinking so much the
better. Some drink hot water, some cold,
and some hot and cold milk. All of these
are good in their way. Tea and coffee drunk
in moderation will not hurt anybody, al
though they are both stimulants.
NERVOUS PRosrRATIoN.
The views of DR.. Oakman S. Paine in the
main agrees with DR.. Sayre; but in some de-
tails he differs. This is what the doctor
said about the drinking question: II think
the drinking habit in this country is verv
largely on the increase. Men are taking
stronger drinks than they used to some years
ago and are depending more on these strong
drinks to maintain them throughout their
days work. A great many men start in the
day with drink before they take their
breakfast. This is bad, very bad, and can't
be condemned in too strong terms. These
same men, later in the day, when worried
and troubled over their business affairs will
seek to maintain their strength and spirits
by taking more alcoholic drinks. This
again is bad.
"For some time it may appear to them that
they are not hurting themselves in any way.
but by and by, very suddenly, they will
break down, and We doctors will have an
other case of nervous prostration to look
after. consider the most injurious drink
that is taken to-day to be absinthe. and the
habit of taking this drink, which is copied
from the French, is growing more and more
all the time. Early in the morning a man
should drink from half to a goblet full of
water, cold water if he can stand it, if not, !
it should be hot. A great many persons
who suffer from dyspepsia find it great re-
lief in drinking glass of hot water, Just as
hot as it can be taken, every morning. Some
people drink milk both hot and cold.
"At breakfast time, coffee, chocolate or
tea should be taken and water; always
uIiuh WdIcf Win your meals, anu drink
plenty of it.. With his dinner man should
drink light wines, if he wants something
alcoholic, if not let him keep to water or
milk. Milk is the best thing he can drink
at any time. There is more nourishment in
a glass fmilk than there is in three glasses
of beer. People are mistaken about the
idea that beer contains nourishment
Many claim that it makes them stout and
that they gain flesh while drinking beer.
They would be great deal better off if
they remained thin without drinking it. 1t
is a wonder to me how a great many men
who habitually drink large quantities of
strong alcoholic drinks every day
MANAGE TO MAINTAIN
their strength and to all appearances be in
perfect health. 1t is very common thing
TO hear of men who take from Is, 20 or even
more glasses of whisky, and yet to all ap-
pearances be in perfect health. They fatter |
themselves that it doesn't hurt them, that it |
does them good. They drink glass of |
whisky every morning or some other intoxi- |
eating beverage, and before the effects of |
that beverage has worked off, they take an |
other one. And SO they go on right through |
the day, living upon stimulants. The re- |
suit OF this is seen very clearly when they |
rise next morning. He ieels wretchedly, |
and the first thing he does is to get drink |
of whisky in order to make him feel good. |
The man is just shortening his life. Every
drink he takes is SO much more wear and |
tear upon his system. Some day he may
break down altogether under it, Or If any |
disease such as pneumonia seize him, he |
will not have sufficient strength to fight |
against it. He is just undermining his con-