Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-08-21
w. G. 7. u. COLUMN.
PROFESSOR ATWATFR'S EXPERT
REGARD TO THE ALCOHOL
QUESTION IN THE
SCHOOLS.

|
Atwater are of great interest to physi-
ologists and chemists since they throw
much light upon one of the doubtful
questions of physiological chemistry
or pharmacology, that of the meta
bolism of alcohol in the body.
1t is mistake, however, to think as
some people apparently do, that the
result of these experiments should
change the teaching in the schools in
regard to the use of alcohol from a
hygienic point of view. The schools
teach that the use of alcoholic liquors
as beverage is not justifable 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 some 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. If it did, such a vio
lent poison as muscarine, the active
! principle of the poisonous plants of
the mushroom family would have to
be classed with the foods, since it
also is oxidized in the body with lib
Grafton of its contained energy.
To class a substance among the
foods we must know that the sum
total effects of it's use are beneficial
to the body. Muscarine is not food
because poisonous effects Offset the
benefit of the energy which it liber-
ates. 'Alcohol has poisonous effects
as Prof. Atwater himself admits. The
question as to whether it can be con-
sidered as food depends entirely upon
whether it's beneficial effects are
greater than it's 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 alcohol in the list
of food substances. For scientific
experiment SO far, experiments upon
large bodies of men in the ordinary
conditions and vicissitudes of life, in
the armies and in exploring expedi-
tions where labor and exposure have
to be endured, indicate that when tbs
regular moderation" quantity of
alcohol is taken, the harmful effects
Offset the beneficial ones and that the
drinker is made less fit rather than
more fit to 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
will interpret this to mean that it is
food equally to be recommended with
sugar and ordinary hygienic foods.
And this as Prof. Atwater will agree
is an entirely false idea and one calcu-
lated 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 to support life in |
ordinary conditions, we must take
enough alcohol to poison ourselves
seriously. by poisoning is meant
some harmful effect upon the func-
tons of the bOdy.)
The above dangers in the use .of
alcohol, also the possibility of the
formation of the alcohol habit, make
it's use as beverage unjustifable,
against it.
1t is unfortunate that the alcohol
question has been brought upon this
technical ground. The question Of
the hygenic status of the use of alco
hol does not depend upon the tech
meal question of the definitions of
food and of a poison. The contro-
versy upon this point has produced
statements upon both sides which
have given rise in the public mind to
great misconception of the truth.
Both sides of this technical contro
versy will agree in regard to the main
question that children should be
taught to look upon alcoholic liquors
Is dangerous substances TO be
avoided from considerations of health
and general welfare.
And in the present light of our ex-
oerience and of scientific investiga-
ion, the school books must continue
10 exclude alcohol from the list of
desirable as foods, and to
leach the avoidance of this substance
Is a good hygienic rule.
FL. F. HEwEs, M. D.
Boston, Mass, July 5, 100.
Free of Charge.
Any adult suffering from cold settled on
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