The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-02-09


and tonic properties, the use of which
is beneficial and not injurious to
men," They also say this fact is so
well established in Bavaria, Germany.
that no other kind of ingredients are
permitted in brewing beer for home
consumption, but malt, hops and
water, and that any violation of this
regulation is severely punished.
They then add that five.sixths of the
beer brewed in this country is adul
terated.
This fact has been admitted by
thos best posted upon the subject
for several years. A petition was sent
to Congress several years ago asking
for legislation 10 prevent such adul-
teration, and very numerously signed
the petition averring the signers were
assured by high medical authority
that adulterated beer was very injur-
ious to the public health.
But now come the doctors of Ger
many protesting in the name of
health against even their pure beer,
of whose healthful qualities we have
heard SO much, 10! these many years.
Recently DR.. Brendel, lecturing be-
fore the Anthropological Society of
Munich, said:
DR.. Brendel spoke: "Alcohol, which
apparently brings so much pleasure to
it's partaker, acts as poison, if even con.
sumed in small doses daily, by means of
it's cumulative action as strikingly shown
here in Munich. the centre of beer con-
sumption, by the frequent sudden cases
of death of apparently healthy men.
Fatty enfeebled hearts, shrivelled kid
neys, fatty or hardened livers, changes
in the texture of blood vessels, which
cause paralytic strokes and softenings of
the brain by bursting in the brain,
chronic catarrhs of the stomach and
bronchial tubes, ETC., trembling of the
limbs, alteration and diseases of the
mental faculties, delirium tremens, etc.,
these are some If the consequences of
an immoderate drinking of alcohlic slim
ulants.
Prof. DIR. Bollinger of this city NJ
/ nichl has in the same manner proved the
/ prevalence of various diseases of a de6n-
ite nature OF the internal organs caused
by the universal drinking of beer. A nor
NAL heart or kidney is the exception only
here in Munich. This state of affairs al
so Injuries the progeny in most serious
manner. DIR. Demme found that of the
children of non drinkers 50 per cent we're
sound, while of those of drinkers only II
per cent. were sound.
although large quantities of bever-
ages were drunk formerly, still only in
the last century, and more especially
only in the last decades, in which the
brewers art was perfected, drinking has
become universal. 1t has spread every
where, and increased to frightful, most
alarming extent. 1t has been introduced
even into country communities; and the
only inevitable consequence will be the
thorough degeneration of the human
race, if the evil is not checked before it
is too late.
although it is commended that beer
contains less alcohol than either wine or
whiskey, it is, nevertheless, as injurious
as either of them; while its Wanted nj
tritive value stands in no proportion to
it's price. When man is required to
perform the greatest feats of corporeal
exertions i'll battle, sport, explorations.
strikingly shown. :. In spite of the
marvellous advantages Of our present
| age, great retrogression in an ethical
sense is undeniable, the chief cause of
which is principally due to the increase
| OF drunkenness, because the beer saloon
has become the centre and focus of so.
cial life."
Liebig long ago exploded the idea
that any appreciable amount of nour-
ishment was contained, even in good
beer, although that claim is constant
ly made for it in this country. Will
not the advocates of beer drinking
soon be driven to claim for it, only its
real merit, the power to produce the
celebrating effects of alcohol, in a
slight degree-at the expense of the
general health, if INDUCED in long,
or to any great extent. 1t seems as
though such testimony as we are now
getting from Germany, as to the dele
terious effects of beer, and from
France as to the very serious effects
of their wine and absinthe drinking,
might silence the American advocates
of these beverages, who wish to pro-
mote their universal use in our own
country. Cursed as this country is
with drink, it is paradise of temper
ace compared with beer drinking
England and Germany, and this fact
should be kept before the public