The Republican journal., 1891-08-20
Doc ors and Alcohol.
HOW PHYSICIANS CAN HELP THE CAUSE OF
TEMPERANCE.
From a Paper by Dr. John d. Blackmer of
Massachusetts,

TEMPERANCE.
From a Paper by Dr. John d. Blackmer of
Massachusetts.
an what way may physician eifectually
help to stay the ravages of intemperance?
There are many specific ways of doing this
which the limits of such a paper will not al
low us to consider; we will briefly point out
three general ones.
First: BY practicing total abstinence him
self Not only is 1t true that every mans life
tells upon some other life and the unconscious
influence of what man does refrains from
doing Is often greater than the impression that
he abors to make, but 1t Is also true that the
physician Is exceptionally placed In his power
to influence others in things pertaining to
health and disease. He is supposed to know
what Is best for the physical system and he is
supposed to act In accordance with that knowl-
edge: hence. many feel safe In pursuing a
course which they regard As questionable If
they see the guardian of their health doing it.
Still further, however deeply one may deplore
the ravages OF intemperance, and however
earnestly be may desire to rescue its victims,
he can really do very little effective work so
long as the odor of the evil cings to his own
person. The day has passed when one can la
Dor ettectually In the temperance cause with a
perfumed breath. A thief may be able to catch
a thief but he will not accomplish much tow
ard reforming one while he Is known to be q
thief himself. An opium slave may detest the
habit and earnestly desire to rescue those who
are in the tolls but he will have very little NOR
al force in efectng the reform of others while
1t is understood that he is himself victim.
The life that is above reproach is the weighty
one in any reform.
Second He may help by talking, teaching,
praying and voting with view of destroyin &
the great evil. 1t Is sometimes said that talk
is cheap and so 1t Is when 1t means nothing,
talk that is contradicted by practice and that is
more than offset by going to the polls hand in
ing for the same candidates and voting the
same ticket. Such talk Is of little avail but
talk that is reinforced by an upright life and
consistent acting and voting. Is effective and is
often irresistible. The physician is In a posi-
tion where he can do much teaching that In a
quiet and convincing way Will impress the
heart and mould the life; in public and in pr-
waite, in the social assembly, on the street and
in the sick room there opens to him Opportu-
mites of service in this field which few other
men enjoy.
Third More than in any other way the
physician can help stay the ravages Of intem-
perance by proper attitude toward ntoX
cants in the treatment OF the sick and here it
must be admitted by candid men there's album
dant occasion for great reform. When the
craze for intoXicantS have passed away and an
impartial history of their use as a remedy
shall be written, il will appear. as we believe.
the most irrational and unscentifc chapter
upon the medical record inasmuch they
have been and are employed in every form of
disease. and for every conceivable purpose,
and that too frequently without regularity of
administration or precision of dose. They are
prescribed when it is weIl-known that the
most garint and abOminable authorizations are
the rule and not the exception. so that neither
the patient nor the physician has much idea of
what The former is swallowing under the
guse of whisky. brandy or gin. Yes. The in
discriminate use of these articles has be-
bV-WOT1 and rpnTOaph of which