The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-25
HILLS EXTOLS ALCOHOL.
HIS VIEWS STIR STATE MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION.

Gives It First Place n Drug in the Field
of Therapeutics, and Refers SlightinEly
to Its Enemie.-Justics Bartlett Reads
Paper on Medical Expert Evidence.
The New York State Medical Association
began its sixteenth annual meeting at the
Academy OF Medicine yesterday. Physicians
from all parts OF the State were present. The
two day sessions were devoted to matters
medical but the evening was devoted mainly
10 representatives OF the legal profession. who
talked to the doctors on the subject OF expert
testimony
After President Joseph d. Bryant had read
his address on Tho Influence OF the Medical
Practitioner on tho Medical Profession" DR..
Thomas J. Hills OF this city stlrred up some
discussion by paper on alcohol. Alcohol. he
said was OF many kinds. As an ingredient In
alcoholic drinks. IL 10 not necessarily harmful.
New whiskey he denounced as unnt for use.
IF bob veal" said DR.. Hills. which 10 the
meat OF young CALI 10 exposed for sale such
an exposure constitutes crime. The very
Same rule should apply to young whisky. It
may be here stated that two-thirds OF the
crimes and four-ffths OF the insanity charged
to the account OF alcohol would disappear II
whiskey were sold In It's proper state. 1t is
the quality OF the alcoholic product. not its
quantity. that should be condemned"
DR.. Hills put alcohol nrst among general
stlmulants and heart tonics. and said that it
was an excellent food in many cases where
other foods could not be retained. He then
paid his respects to the temperance people in
the following manner:
Alcohol in the banquet hall. In the beer
garden and at the domestic hearth makes
hundreds merry for every ten 1t renders mis-
cradle and every one it destroys. The man is
justified who feeling Insecure puts up
n.ybtp in I'd IN Ia
the man who cannot handle alcohol In q ra-
tional manner equally justified In taking q
pledge and attaching himself to a Temperance
society. There he will have an opportunity
with the others to put himself on exhibition
as q weakling and q person without moral
strength resolution, but he has no right
to denounce alcohol because Of his weakness
any moro than he should a lamppost which
he was unfortunate enough to run foul
Of whom under his potation. The
physician above all men must not be fright
ened away from his obligation to his patient by
the noise and oamor made by the clergyman
or the tenn importance orator. the former OF whom
may know nothing OF alcohol; the latter too
much 1t Is difficult to contem plate without
pity the position Of these poor men. conscripts
from the medcal profession and others as
semb led in the moral block house. unconscious
that no war exists. but who are fighting for
principles that have been conceded. and deaf
TO the bugle blast OF com mon sense which de-
mands reconciliation and reunion 80 q common
benefit to ALL"
After considering the physiology OF alcohol
and the use Of alcohol In acute and chronic
disease. the speaker continued:
Never drink whiskey IN hot weather with
the ostenslble purpose Of cooling of Never
drink alcohol ON setting out on journey; It 10
like filling your pockets with cobblostones
under the delusion that It assists looomo-
ton. Never drink Whiskey before delivering Q
temperance lecture or preaching q sermon
it will develop ideas but cannot formulate
them; It will loosen the tongue but impair the
reasoning powers and weaken the judgment.
Never drink alcohol after eating; 1t cannot aid
digestion. There 10 no truth In the statements
that alcohol suddenly transforms an angelic
man into q demon; It has no such power. 1t
Is only revealer OF character. II a man 10
bad It will mako him worse; II a kind man It
will make him kinder. Alcohol creates nothing
In the domain OF mind but 1t can pursue and
seize train OF thought far beyond the grasp
OF the faculties when not excited by its action.
Alcohol 10 a form OF food already diRssted but
Is not adapted to the normal wants OF the body.
1T has a place on tha sideboard and 1t must
have place In the sick room until We discover
another agent more efficient and able to sup
plant It by virtue OF its availability and physio-
logical action. No such agent. however. has
yet been discovered. the opinions OF others to
the contrary Notwithstanding
The opinions OF others to the contrary were
very soon made known. for half q dozen mem
bsrs stralghtway attacked DR.. Hilliss position
Hereby Ono OF them declared his paper I'M
scientific and unworthy Of presentation before
a body OF medical men. Another said that It
contained nothing new and was merely
specious setting OF old fallaoies. A
third observed that tho evidence OF
those who had abandoned the use OF
alcohol should be OF more value than tho
theories OF men who had not given 1t
up. Among those who controvertsd the state
ments OF DR.. Hills. were DR.. F. D. Reese OF
Courtland. and DR.. Fl. d. Didama OF Syracuse
Other papers read were on The Necessity for
Exact Evidence In Treating Scientific Sub
iects." by Dr. Wiekes Wasburn Of this city an
address on New Nasal Instruments and Their
Use" by DR. Henry W. Wandsss OF this city;
animal Products used as Medicines" by DR..
7. j. Acker OF Westchsster county: Tho Ply
stefan as Factor in Education" by DR.. Frank
Overton OF Suffolk county: Tho Operative
Treatment ofIigf hyopla by Removal OF the
Crystalline Lens" by DR.. Charles L. Bull Of
this city; "A Report ofthe International Gynn-
Geological Congress at Antwerp" by DR.. A.
Palmer Dudley Of this city; Progress OF the
Science and Art OF Obstetrics" by Dr. =. O.
Donohue OF opondaga county: "Asspss and
Antisepsis in Obstetrics" BY Dr. Douglas Ayers
Of Montgomery county; "Puerperal sspsis and
What 1t Teaches" by Dr. Charles II. Glldden Of
Herkimer county: 'Hydrorrhsa and HYDRO
salplnx." by Dr. Frederick 8. Covles OF West
brook. Conn: Indications for Operation
uponthe Stomach" by DIR. Max Einhorn OF this
city; The Value OF Operative Treatment Of
Spina Bifda." by DR.. W. b. Reid OF Oneida
county; and "Cutaneous Manifestations Of
Syphilis" by DR.. John A. Fordycs OF this city
At the evening session Justice Willard Bart
lett OF tho Appellate Division OF the Supreme
Court was introduced as the principal speaker
Of the evening and read paper on Medical
Expert Evidence; the Obstacles to Radical
Changes in the Present System" He said in
part:
An exception to the general rule OF evidence
that Witnesses may testify only as to facts
within their own knowledge 10 made in the
case OF experts who are allowed 10 testify to
c91 1sI drawn from facts within the limits
edge Of tho lIyman. SO medical men are per-