Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-11-17
Physicians, Use of Alcohol.

The most interesting paper read at the
closing session of the New York State Medl-
cal Associations annual meeting, in Mott
Memorial Hall, New York City, was written
by DR.. j. NJ. harrington, Of Broome County
on "The Passing of Alcohol
DR.. harrington quoted the commenda.
lions formerly bestowed on alcohol by
standard medical authors, and noted a great
change within forty years. He declared
that those OF the profession who believe iu
the general uso OF alcohol as remedy are
now in the minority, and said that with the
light which has been thrown upon this sub.
ject during the past few years a physician
subjects himself to adverse criticism, and
has need to apologize for using alcohol in
cases In which but few years ago he would
have been censured had he refrained from
usingit DR.. harrington said further:
Life insurance companies have become
convinced beyond question that alcohol
used even In moderate quantities, impairs
the vital powers and shortens life. Rail.
road companies hass learned that even o
moderate use Of alcohol affects unfavorably
the brain and muscular power, and. there.
fore, require all engineers, conductors
brakemen and switchmen to be total alb
stainers. Religious societies that formerly
made use of alcoholic wine, In the celebra.
tion OF the Lords Supper, have discovered
that the use Of 1t at the communion ser.
vice has, In many instances, aroused the
appetite for intoxicants in reformed per.
sons, and thus have started them again or
the decllvity to ruin. Churches have like,
wise learned that the use OF alcohol as
beverage Is the greatest barrier to the pro
gress Of religious truth. Therefore, a ma
jority of the Christian societies have ban
ished Intoxicating wine from their com
munion rites, and use only the unfermentet
juice OF the grape.
Public state ceremonies, such as the in
auguration OF the President of the United
tata IF nf Sfata
which were once scenes of bacchanaliaI
revelry, have so far been modified il
Difference to public sentiment that in many
instances no kind of alcoholic beverage is
furnished. Social gatherings and banquets.
where formerly champagne and other mild
intoxicants flowed freely and were con-
sidered essential are now frequently con-
Quoted without any form of alcoholic
drink.
The attention OF the civilized world has
been called to the conspicuous fact of the
accuracy of the fire of the gunners o: our
battleships in the recent war with Spain.
The contrast between the fire of the mon
Of our navy and that of Spain was chiefly
to be attributed, no doubt, to the custom
that prevails on the ships of the latter,
where daily rations Of grog are furnished
to the men; while, since 1862, when that
custom was abolished by our Government,
no rations OF grog are allowed at any time
on board our ships. The custom just al
luded to as followed by Spain is true of oil
the navies Of the world but ours Yet
Great Britain has abandoned the double
rations of grog when fight Is on, and
then no liquor is allowed.
DR.. harrington appealed to his hearers
to assist in driving alcohol from the do.
main of medicine.
. Organized Society's Criminal Neglect.
What does society as society do to pre-.
vent its members from becoming criminalsi
Nothing, absolutely nothing. The church
and the mission and philanthropy and
charity and our reformatory systems, Or
ganized through individual effort, do a
great deal, but the law does nothing; 1t
sanctions and tolerates every evil which
brings forth crime as natural product,
and throws upon religion and humanity the
burden Of its responsibility. There will be-
a great public awakening upon this matter
as no distant day. We permit a man to be-
come drunkard, license him, as 1t were,
to become one, make profit out of him for
becoming one, and then when he does an
act which is the inevitable result of his un.
conscious condition, we pass statutes grad.
Ing off the sort Of punishment that he
shall suffer for doing that which nothing
but the miraculous interpositlon Of Provl.
dence could have prevented him from do.
ing. We say to him, ''You can 60 crazy
the law is with you; but when you are crazy
you must act like u rational creature; II
not, the law is against you."-Ex-Congress-
man Hon. Isador Rayner, Of Maryland, at
Hebrew Benevolent Society Banquet, Bal.
timore.