Arizona republican., 1899-08-07
ATWATER'S EXPERIMENTS.
In Regard to the Alcohol Question in
the Schools.


TO the editor of the Republican Sir
The recent experiments of Prof At
water are of great interest 10 physiol-
ogists and chemists since they throw
much light upon one of the doubtful
questions of physiological chemistry
or pharmacology. that Of the metlbOl
ism Of alcohol in the body.
L. is 4 mistake. however. 10 think.
as some people apparently do, that
the result Of these experiments should
change the teaching in the schools in
regard 10 the use of alcohol from a
hygienic point of view The schools
teach that the use of alcoholic liquors
rs beverage is not justitiable under
The laws Of hygiene The results Of
Prof AtWaterS experiments do not
contradict this teaching.
These experiments merely show that
The body can derive some energy from
alcohol. This does not in itself entitie
alcohol to be placed among the food
substances in the hygienic sense Of the
term. which is the sense in which the
schools and people in general use the
term food. If it did, such a violent
poison as muScarine. 1he active prin-
ciple Of the poisonous plants of the
mushroom f2mily would have TO be
Chased with the foods. since it also
is oxidized in the body with liberation
of its contained energy.
To class q substance among the
foods we must know that the sum
total effects of is use are beneficial TO
the body. Muscarine is not food be-
cause its poisonous effects Offset the
benefit of the energy which it Fiber
ates. Alcohol has poisonous effects as
Prof. -stwaIer himself admits. The
question whether it can he considered
as food depends entirely upon whether
its beneficial effects are greater than
its poisonous effects. Prof. Atwater's
experiments do not prove this. Until
this is proven the burden of the proof
is against those who would include al
cohoI IN the list of food substances.
For scieu.itic experiment so far eX-
periments uPcl large bodies Of men IN
the ordinary conditions and vicissi-
tudes OF life. in the armies and in eX
ploring expeditions where lalsor and
exposure have TO ne endured. Indicate
that WREN the regular moderation"
quantity of alcohol Is taken. the harm
full effects offset the beneficial ones and
that ne drinker IS made less fit rather
than more fit 10 work.
And stronger still is the reason
against speaking as Prof Atwater
does. of alcohol as food in the same
sense as sugar. For people generally,
viii interpret this to mean chat it is
a food equally 10 be recommended with
sugar and ordinary hygienic foods. |
And this as Prof. Atwater viii agree i
is an entirely false idea and one cal |
cuIated to do much harm. For while |
we get our energy from sugar without |
risk of poisoning. TO get energy from |
alcohol We run great risk of poison |
ing. and TO get any amount such as
would be necessary 20 support life in |
ordinary conditions, we must take
enough alcohol 10 poison ourselves
seriously. (By poisoning is meant some /
harmful effect upon the functions Of
the body)
The above dangers in the use Of al
cohol. also the possibility of the for
nation of the alcohol habit. make its
Use as beverage unjUstiffable even if
there We're no other arguments against
it,
1t is unfortunate that the alcohol