The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-04-05
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
BEER AND WHISKY.


|
Popular Notion.
| The Scientific American, q paper de-
/ voted entirely to scientific subjects and
eschewing politics, in recent number
discusses the growing tendency in all
parts of the country to abandon the use
of whisky and all distilled forms of rum,
using beer in their stead. The change
is one that has frequently been spoken
of as step in the direction of the ITEM
perate USE of rum, and some have even
gone SO far as to hail it as an indication
of an improvement of the drinking hab-
its of our people. This view is evident
ly founded on the idea that beer acts as
a food-an opinion that is utterly
wrong; for all the nutriment there is in
an eight-gallon key of beer does not
equal that contained in spoonful of
wheat flour.
Those who hail a change from
whisky-drinking to beer-drinking as an
improvement also fall into the error of
assuming that beer is not so harmful as
are spirituous liquors. This mistake is
clearly demonstrated by the paper
referred to. 1t is to be remembered
that after all possible excuses have
been made for men who drink at all,
the naked fact can not be concealed
that they drink simply from the
stimulus there is in rum; that this
stimulating principle resides in the
alcohol which all its forms contain,
and without which they would be
simply disgusting Stops, which nobody
would taste; that there are other sub
stances in each form of rum, peculiar to
that form, which gave it its distinctive
flavor, aside from the dominating fiery
one of alcohol, and which substances
are of themselves harmful, as we'll as is
the alcohol.
As men drink for the exhilaration pro-
duced by the alcohol that any particu-
lar form of tipple they prefer may con-
tain, it follows, as is shown by the ex-
perience of every one, that beer-drink-
ers imbibe beer in immense quantities.
An ordinary glass of beer contains six
or eight times as much liquid as glass
of whisky, and men drink great mary
more of these large glasses of beer
than they would of the much smaller
glasses of whisky. AS beer contains a
much smaller per cent of alcohol than
does spirits, they are obliged to swill it
in bulky doses in order to attain the
same degree of excitement and stimu-
lus. They thus get, along with the al
cohol, very large quantity Of the other
chemical compounds which beer con-
tains, and which of themselves are del
eterious to the human organism; and
the alcohol in the beer facilitates their
absorption into the circulation. AS to
their effects upon the system, the jour
nal above quoted says:
"The use of beer is found to produce a
species OF degeneration of all the organs; pro-
found and deceptive fatty deposits diminished
circulation, conditions of congestion and per
version Of functional activities, local infiamma-
lions Of both the liver and kidneys are con-
stantly present.
SIN appearance the beer -drinker may be the
picture of health, but in reality he is least cap
able of resisting disease. A slight injury, a
severe cold or a shock to the body or mind will
probably provoke acute disease ending fatally
Compared with inebriates who use different
: kinds OF alcohol, he Is more incurable and more
generally diseased. The constant use of beer
every day gives the system no recuperation,
but steadily lowers the vital forces.
at Is our observation that beer drinking in
this country produces the very lowest kind OF
: inebriety closely allied to criminal insanity.
The most dangerous class Of rufians in our
large cities are beer-drinllers. Recourse to
beer as o substitute for other forms of alcohol
merely increases the danger and fatality"
The last paragraph quoted above con-
tains grave fact too often overlooked
: by the general public. The most brutal
and revolving crimes and offenses are
, those committed by beer-drunkards. 1t
/ is truth known to all men that the list
= of crimes and brutalities given in the
daily press is largely due to rum.
: A few weeks ago man in Canada
: killed his whole family, including two
/ little children, with an axe, literally
chopping them to pieces. The news
: story read: HE was drunk when he did
l it." On almost the same day another
| man in Brooklyn nearly murdered his
, wife and daughter with huge knife,
mangling the daughter frightfully. And
| again the story ran: lie was drunk
t when he did it." 1t would tell start.
( ling tale of the dangers of beer-intox.
iUation to follow up the lists of wife,
B beatings, cruelty to little children, out.
RACES upon helpless females, and muir
ders in our cities, committed under the
, influence of the demon rum, and ascer-
tain in each case what the drink was
that moved the human brute to his dia.
. bolical work. 1t would undoubtedly be
r found that those who committed the
) most revolving and brutal of these Of
lenses are beer-drinkers.
There can be no distinction made in
r favor of beer as against other forms of
r rum. In point of fact the diseased con
) ditions of body and mind which are the
( self-imposed fate of the beer-drunkard
are worse, if that is possible. than those
= which make the penalty of the whisky.
D drinker. Certainly the effects upon the
t mind and the moral nature are worse,
Y for the mental facilities are blunted
: while the moral side is hopelessly per.
| verified. 1t will not do to say that only
s men who are brutal by nature become
t the victims of beer; the brutality and
stupidity of the chronic beer-drunkard
= must be due to the beer itself. The
D friends of Temperance can make nc
greater mistake than to favor beer as
r an alternative for other kinds of rum
v drinking. Toledo Blade.
AN EXCEL LENT NOTION