The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-03
THE ALCOHOL QUESTION

prof. Atwater's IsxpCrjmcnto ana the
instruction in the Public Schools
as TO It's Harmful ERects- 1Eisap.
prehensiOns Corrected.
TO the Editor Of the Inteligoleer..
sIR:-The recent experiments Of
Prof. Atwater are of great interest to
psychologists ana chemists since they
throw much light upon one Of the
doubtful questions Of physiological.
chemistry or phsrmacolosy. that Of the
metabollsm Of alcohol in the body.
It Is mistake, however, to think as
soiae people apparently DO. that the re-
suit Of these experipeRts should
change the teaching IN b schools in
regard to the use Of alcohol from a
hyglenlc point Of view. The schools
teach that the use Of alcoholic liquors
as a beverage is not justiaable under
the laws of hygiene. The results of
Prof Atwater's experiments DO not
contradict this teaching.
These experiments merely show that
the body can derive sons, energy from
alcohol. This does not In itself entitle
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. II II did. such a violent pol
son as muscarlne, the active principle of
the poisonous plants Of the mushroom
family would have to be classed with
the foods. since 1t also IL oxldlzed in
the body with liberation Of its contain
ed energy.
To class substance among the
foods we must know that the sum to-
tai effects Of Its use are beneficial to
the body. Muscarine is not food be-
cause It's poisonous effects offset the
benefit of the energy which IL liber-
Rtes. Alcohol has poisonous effects as
Prof. Atwater himself admits, The
question as to whether Il scan be con-
sldered as food depends entirely upon
whether Its beneficial effects are
greater than its poisonous effects. Prof
Atwater's experiments 40 mot prove
this. Until this is proven ne burden of
the proof is against thoss who would
include alcohol in the llsi Of food sub
stances. For scientific experiment so
far, experiments upon large bodies of
men In the ordinary conditions and VI
clssltudes of life, in the armies and in
exploring expeditions where labor and
exposure have to be endured, indicate
that when the regular moderation"
quantity of alcohol is taken, the harm
full effects offset the beneficial ones and
that the drinker is mnde less at rather
than more fit to work.
And stronger still lss the reason
against speaking as Prof. Atwater does,
OF alcohol as food in the same sense as
sugar. For people generally, will in
terpret this to mean that II Is food
equally to be recommended with sugar
and ordinary hygienic foods. And this
Us Prof. Atwater will agree is an en-
tirely false idea and one calculated 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 poisoning, and to
get any amount such as would be nee
essary to support life in ordinary con-
ditions. we must take enough alcohol
to poison ourselves seriously. (By pol
sonIng is meant some harmful effect up
on the functions of the bodyJ
The above dangers in the use of al
cohol, also the possibility of the forum
tlon OF the alcohol habit. make Its use
as u beverage unjustiaable even II
there were no other arguments against
it.
1t is unfortunate that the alcohol
question has been brought upon this
technical ground. The question of the
hyglenic status of the use of alcohol
does not depend upon the technical
question of the definitions OF a food and
OF poison. The controversy upon this
point has produced statements upon
both sides which have given rise in the
public mind to great mlsconceptiOn Of
the truth.
Both sides in this technical contro-
versy will agree in regard to the main
question, that children should be
taught to look upon alcoholic liquors as
dangerous substances, to be avoided
from considerations Of health and gen
eral welfare.
And in the present light Of our ex-
porience and Of scientific investigation,
the school books must continue to ex-
clude alcohol from the list of sub
stances desirable as foods. and to teach
the avoidance of this substance as a
good hygienlc rule. '''
H. F. HEwEs, NJ. D.
Boston, Mass.