Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-08-25
VIC. I. U. COLUMN.
The Effect Upon Temperance Work
of the Recent Scientific Investi-
cations Concerning Alcohol.

]
| brood) cease to rant about alcohol as
poison; will they revise their text
books on temperance physiology and
mi sleadng teaching IN the public
school; will they be honest enough TO
admit that alcohol is food and not a
poison that in any quantity, large or
small, is harmful and useful; will they
admit that they have published lies
which are directly opposed TO results of
esearc h, and to the opinion of leading
author tiles the world over? We pause
for an answer.
So far as the white.ribbon wing of
the "fanaical temperance brood" is
concerned the "pause" OF the Gazette
need not be of painful duration. I'm
I'll the conclusions drawn from Pro-
fessor Atwater's experiments are more
fully established than we consider them
to be at present, we see no need for the
slightest revision of our text books or
our teaching, Even should they be
fully established and become the "opin-
ion of leading authorities the word
over which at present they are not,
there would still be need of only Slight.
ly modifying remarks which could be
thrown in by the teacher, and no
special harm would result 10 the cause
of truth if the teacher forgot 10 throw
them IN. The most tina. is claimed by
/ Professor Atwater for the experiments
is that they show that alcohol in small
quantities is food, not in the sense
that it builds tissue, but that it pro
duces heat. and also that two ounces Of
alcohol may lie taken daily without
! harm. As Professor Atwater's expert
ments were made with the utmost care
and " tn the best Of apparatus, 1t seems
not improbable that alcohol may pro.
duce heat. though previous careful
investigate r., like DR.. y. 5. Davis, have
declared positively that the use Of
alcohol causes fall instead of a rise
in temperature. But the latter part
of the conclusion is clearly not proved.
All that is proved Is that one man took
two ounces of alcohol daily for about
six days and that no injury from lis use
could be detected. 1t still remains TO
be proved that all, or the majority Of
people, could do the same thing with
the same result. 1t is not even claimed
that the individual experimental upon
could continue 10 uJe that amount Of
alcohol without hahn
On the other hand the opposing facts
are so many and so overwhelming in
Oh aracter, that the temperance reformer
need not think that his vocation is gone.
Even should it be proved that alcohol
produces heat, and that every living NOR
tai may, without harm, take two ounces
a day, there would remain the same need
as now to preach total alb 'tinence for the
individual, prohibition for the state ,
For, alas, mutitudes, once they begin, are
unable long TO confne themselves to two
ounces of alcohol daily. In view Of the
fact that the tendency 10 prorgess from
moderate TO immoderate use of alcohol
sends, In our own land, 100 900 yearly in
10 Oh unkards' graves, the simplest common
sense teaches that the human race would
better look long for some other aeItpro-
ducing power, and, failing TO find it, would
far better do with less heat than run the
fearful risk of producing it through the
daily use of alcohol.
Other facts there are, too. which are
fully established, which overthrow the
theory that the moderate use of alcohol,
as moderation is counted now, is beneficial
or even harmless. The new voice prints
the report of three English life insurance
com uanies, which, for from FIVE TO twenty
wears, have questioned their applicants
concerning their use of alcohol, and have
kept separate lists Of total abs tanners and
OI llppltTS. Out VI lutoC lcpOllS SuONe
that from the year 1884 to 1893 the deaths
among total abstainers were 1897 per cent
less than among the moderate drinkers.
Another, that from the year 1890 to 1895,
the percentage of deaths among abstainers
was BOA per cent less than among mod
crate drinkers. The third showed a per-
centape in favor of total abstalners of Is
per cent.
All things considered we DO not feel
any immediate necessity of admitting
that we have published lies," or Of re-
visng our text books so that they shall
teach "alcohol is food aud not a poison.
Union Signal.
GAS TO II Z a.
IL. H.