The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-12
THE QUESTION OF DRINK.
Medical Opinion on Liquor Saloons ana
Their Social Inf uence.
(From the Medical Record. )

At the present time, owing to discus
sion between several prominent divines-
in which The New York Sun has taken
vigorous part-with regard to the desra-
bility of liquor saloons from the working
mans outlook. the question may be said
to be decidedly on the flow The wordy
tilt of arms originated from some appar-
entity incautious phrases used by Bishop
Potter in describing the said saloons when
speaking at the Waldorf-Astoria a few
days ago. The bishop proclaimed as his
opinion that to the worllingman the liquor
saloon is a social necessity and went
on to designate it the poor mans club"
which satisfies his ''recreative instinct"
These expressions brought forth a strong
protest from the lips of Father Doyle, a
well known champion of temperance, who,
taking upon himself the position of
spokesman for the toiler, denounced the
Dlshop assertion in no measured terms.
1t certainly seems to us that Father
Doyle's language was justified. The ar
gument that liquor saloons are a social
necessity to the poor man, or, indeed, to
any one, is too specious to hold water.
At any rate. in this country there is but
little of the poor mans club" pertaining
70 them. or course, the meaning Bishop
Potter intended to convey by his words
was that the workingman, when he need
ed recreation. had no resort answering in
purpose to the rich mans club. But 1t
must be confessed that in declaring the
liquor saloon" to be to the poor man
what his club is to the rich man he dis
played deplorable lack of knowledge Of
the manner in which the vendors of in
toxicants manage their business At its
best the liquor saloon is but a sorry
makeshtft when recreation is the object.
likely to gain in it is scarcely calculated
10 elevate or improve his mind So long
as ne has money and win spend it with
aIacr1ty his company is welcome, but
Wnen MS pockets are empty his society
IS no longer regarded with favor by the
proprietor. AS The Sun aptly puts the
case, the saloon keeper is not man Of
sentiment, but invariably keeps his eye on
the main chance. This being So the
question must be faced as it really is, and
not Judged from an optimistic and imag-
the liquor saloon in America is not a
poor mans club" a place in which he
can give his ''recreative instincts" fair
the sale of strong drinks at large profit
to the proprietor
II the liquor saloon does satisfy the
Wof N n recreative instinct" all
we can say is that IL he does not possess
the hibulous instinct, we are sorry for the
intelligence of the workngman The
sreat majority OF medical men nowadays
are quite agreed that alcohol does no good
70 a healthy man, and. taking into con-
slderation the incalculable amount of
narm that has been wrought by its agen-
ey 1t Is best that the matter should be
ludSed on its merits, and that the ignor-
ant and careless should be warned of
vtelr ,dahger. It is right and lust that the
Wofklngman should be afforded the op-
portunltes of mixing in congenial society
winch the rich man enjoys but he must
hqt look for it in the liquor saloon.
FROM consideration of the social side
Of the saloon question to that of the
abuse of drink is but a step. Where,
a men y IS the remedy to be sought in or
Is acknowledged on ali sides to be wide
spread and extremely perniclous? Per-
lnisslVe laws have been tried but that
si,ese nave peen by any means universally
suScesstul can hardly be alleged with alb
soiute veracity by their most devoted lrp-
holders. Besides, in some countries bind
tiss measures strictly to control the sale
OF lntoXieants are wholly at variance with
me sentiments of the Inhabitants These
laws are there regarded as an encroach-
men meIt upon the liberty. of free people
Ihe view lhat habitual drunkenness is a
alsease and should be treated as such is
me one most generally held in these
4PS LAYS, Or. Norman Kerr, the best known
Deal with the inebriate as you have sue
sessIully dealt with the maniac. Frown
not on MIN as hardened criminal Re-
niemper ne has fallen by the power of a
physical agency which has crushed to
gaftn some of the noblest and most gifted
bre ~, hlin as a patient laboring under a
banning and fnyeterate disease and amid
many diseouragements Such a measure
OF success will follow your true curative
treatment as will gladden. your hearts as
sicians." - Pi'
Following in these lines. an inebrate
dct was passed by the British parliament
and came into force on Jan. / Of this
year, Criminal habtual drunkards who
commlt some grave offense are placed in
STATE lnebriate reformatories. Habitual
aruhkards who commit some petty offense
are detained in certified inebriate reforms
atofles, where they are not, as in the case
OF the former class. treated as felons but
merely undergo q curative treatment.
Soth me state inebriate reformatores and
me certihed inebriate reformatories will
oe maintained at the expense Of the state
or the local authorities This expert
meht, which is certainly a forward move
ment. will be watched with intense in
terest in this country. The news too
comes from Russia that excellent results
haEe been obtained by the treatment Of
neprlates in special homes. and the con-
elusion has been reached that it is the one
hIelilgeht treatment of drunkards.