The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-11-09

large and influential portion of this
Nation has come to realize that the use
of alcoholic drinks is more than pri-
vate and personal concern. 1t in
wolves the man as citizen, and hence
is public concern. 1t strikes at the
integrity of the family relation, and
as such must attract the attention OF
the State. 1t has to do with the order
of society, and so demands special and
police regulation. 1t affects our
financial prosperity, and so must have
material consideration. In every as
pect it comes within the domain of
political economy; but in none more
than that which relates to the health
of the individual and its effect upon
present and prospective popu-
lations. After all, the mate
rial resources OF country are
not chiefly in soils, or forests, or
mines, or cattle. The character and
ability of the population is the sover-
Sign idea. Whatever attacks or I'M
dermines the public health is a most
if it not only affects individuals but
their offspring. If there is a heredity
of disability there is propagation and
continuation of peril to the State. We
see and hear enough of the ruin which
alcohol brings upon the physical
health of individuals. AS relating to
the organs of the human body Dickin-
son has well termed it the very
''genius of degenerations. " AS re-
lating to function, we know how often
it disturbs digestion, deranges secre-
tions, and initiates vital parts. Harley
and others have shown this TO be true,
not only of those who are regarded as
indulging to excess, but of most who
rank as moderate drinkers.
But we have not had so fully pre-
scented the entailments of alcohol.
There is not a realization of how the
effects distribute themselves through
succeeding generations in divers varie-
ties. The more heredity is studied tho
more apparent it is how the individ-
ual tends to reproduce himself. The
diseased lung or liver, or heart, either
repeats itself in some of the descent,
or its consequences appear in some
general impairment of function or
force. Even where there is no organ
ic change, not less distinctly do
we find dyspepsia, rheumatism, govt
and neuralgias. Close analysis and
the accumulation of facts are more
and more demonstrating how organic
changes or evil physical habits mingle
in the overlooking current of posterity.
Since alcohol more than any other
one food or drink makes its
record on organs and functions,
it would be strange if it formed
any exception to the law. The fact
that some escape, that some take most
after the sound parent and not after
the unsound one, that there is con-
slant dilutlon of the heredity by sue
cessive marriages, and that there is a
recuperation and conservation in
nature, which often in the end over
comes this heredity, does not initiate
against the serious risks and impair
ments which occur Nor are we to
assume that no impairment has oc-
Cured unless we see some marked re-
suit such as inherited taste for alco-
hol, mental disturbances or a
tendency to crime. There are protean
forms of result. DR.. Elan, who has
studied heredity more as philosophic
and skilled physician than as a re-
former, says: at is not necessary that
children should always inherit the
actual alcoholic tendencies of their
parents in order to present type
of progressive degradation. The
offspring inherit either the original
vice or some of its countless protean
transformations. We think that Dr..
L. d. Mason is right when he submits
and substantiates the following prop
osition: alcoholism in progenitors
will produce physical and mental de-
generation in their descendants and all
the neuroses that arise from defective
nerve OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. chorea,
paralysis-and all grades of mental
degeneration from slight enfeeblement
of intellect to insanity and complete
idiocy. The laws which regulate these
degenerative changes are similar in
their mode of development and ac-
ton to those that govern congenital
degenerative changes from other in
herited causes" 1t would be strange
if this were not the case. Sta
tistics fully confirm the expec-
tation of these entailments. A
very great excess in proportion is
found both in asylums and in penal in
situations of those who have had this
inheritance Recently more care has
been taken to separate other exciting
causes such as arise from lust, avarice,
etc, but the very large percentage
still remains Worse even than the
number of drunkards that can point to
an inebriate ancestry is the fact that
so many have inherited a weakness of
will and diminished power of resist
ance in the presence of temptation.
There is an undermining OF the founda-
tions--an impairment of will-power
and so loss in that true stamina OF
character which imparts a perfect