The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-04-04
DRINK NO ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS.
Eminent Physicians Differ in Degree, bu
Unite in Principle.

Eminent Physicians Differ in Degree, but
Unite in Principle.
A prominent physician, whose name
Is not given, prints in The Boston Tran
script the opinions of nlany well known
medical men and authors, given in re-
spouse to the question, (Which of the
alcoholic liquors is the least injurious as
q BEVERAGE"
1t is worthy of note that all agree that
alcoholic liquors are injurious, the differ
ence being only in degree.
DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes says that
from testimony from an English author
ity twenty years ago he has a favorable
opinion of rum, but has no proof of it's
superiority over other liquors.
DIR. ID. Hayes Agnew, the distinguished
surgeon of Philadelphia. says: ga man
who feels that he must drink had better
not drink at all. Such one, more than
any other, is liable to fall complete
victim to the debasing habit of intemper-
ance. Any alcoholic liquor habitually
imbibed can scarcely fail to be injurious.
The evil effects produced ON the liver
and stomach by habitual whisky drink
ing especially are well known to the
medical pathologist. Perhaps the least
harmful of all alcoholic drinks is light
claret."
The late DR.. Samuel D. Gross, of Phila-
delphia, in an address at Jefferson Med
ical college just before his death, said:
Excessive drinking is always to be de-
plored. Alcohol, like fire, is a good SER
want in the hands of en- intelligent ply
sician, but a bad master for the poor
wretch who permits his appetite for it to
overcome his self control. A man who
must drink, or who thinks he must, is
pretty sure to eventually become the
slave-body and soul-of King Alcohol
Such man should let alcoholic liquor of
any and every kind severely alone. If
he will not do that, he will find pure,
good whisky-if any such can be obtain
ed nowadays-probably the least injur.
ious of any of the strong alcoholic
liquors"
DR.. Austin Flint, of New York, says
81 am not prepared to state that any one
alcoholic drink is less injurious than an.
other. In my opinion all alcoholic bev.
erages, of any and every kind whatso
ever, must inevitably be injurious to all
persons who are in perfect health and
well nourished. 1t follows, therefore,
as matter of course, that alcoholic
liquors of any description should never
be used except when prescribed by an
able and conscientious physician, in
cases of absolute need from sickness"
DR.. John Moore, surgeon general OF
the United States army, says: 81 have
no hesitation in naming whisky as prob.
ably the least injurious of any of the
strong liquors of which / have any
knowledge"
DR.. Weir Mitchell, of Philadelphia: 81
have no definite answer that I can give,
except tosay that in general vague way
| adhere to the old traditional belief in
whisky as the most wholesome tipple;
but when said to the late Judge C.,
ages ago, that the number of old western
lawyers who abided by Monongahela rye
proved its wholesomeness, he remarked,
grimly, you see only the survivors,
Dr.. w. A. Hammond, of New York,
late surgeon general of the United States
army, says: SIN my opinion, that alco-
holic liquor is the least injurious and
hence the best for men to drink which
possesses the smallest proportion of alco-
hol, and it is for this reason that should
advise beer or some of our light native
wines in preference to any and all other
alcoholic beverages"
DR.. N. S. Davis, of Chicago, denies the
necessity of any ones taking alcoholic
drinks of any kind, and says: eff you
ask, What kind of alcoholic liquor is the
least injurious for man or person who
will persist in drinking? answer, That
kind which has the smallest per cent. of
alcohol in it,"
Dr. Samuel Gross, of Philadelphia, son
of DR.. S. D. Gross, says: "The worst
forms of organic disease are produced in
scores of thousands of people in the
United States annually by the very mod
crate but habitual use of the mildest
forms of alcoholic drink, and that in
people who have never been under the
influence of liquor in all their lives
For all these reasons, and many others
which l have not the time to enumerate,
the man who must drink or will drink
had better stick to good whisky
--
HECTOR EnP MERPAckA