The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-07-19
w. C. T. U. COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY MRS. M. l.. HOBBS.
ALCOHOL. FROM a PHYSICIANS
STANDPOINT.
A Talk Given in Trinity Church, South
Bend, by J. W. Milligan, N. D.


In considering the question OF al
cohol from the standpoint Of tn,
physician, one recalls the dream oI
the old King Nebuchadnezzer, wher
he saw in his vision mighty image,
part fine gold, part potter's clay
So ! see in the question II alcohol
something Of good, much Of evil; il
is part fine gold, part p,tter's clay
Wisely used it may prove a minis
tering angel to lift man up; un,
wisely used, it will assuredly prove
a devil to drag him down.
A question so complex as this il
naturally considered by different in
dividuals from widely divergent
points OF view. There are ardent
admirers who see in it nothing bul
good it is good when you are sick
good when you are well; good when
you're sad, good when you're hap.
Ipy; good when you are home, and
il you are going away from home
have it with you in case Of the
emergency that is considered all toe
frequently to have arisen. On the
other hand there are those who see
in it nothing whatever of good tc
these it is evil entirely.
Somewhere between these two ex-
tremes stand the majority Of physi
ciaLs. There are some practitioners
of prominence who hold that alco.
hol has no place Of value in the ma
terra medica, but these are in the
decided minority, and by no means
represent the consensus Of opinion
among physicians in general
Neither does this view represent the
teachings Of most Psychologists ol
standing.
The cause OF temperance rests up
on a foundation so broad, upon
principles SO sound, upon facts SC
indisputable that it needs no. .apol.
ogy from any one. 1t has no cause
to fear the truth, or the most search
ling scrutiny. The cause of temper
ance is not advanced by intemper-
ance in statement. The reforma-
Ition Of the race must come about
not so much through the emotions
as through the intellect, the will,
the conscience. From within, more
than from without, must this change
take place. Were it possible to-
might to Danish from all the land
every form Of alcohol, intemperance
lin various forms would continue to-
morrow because Of the inherent ten.
dency towards intemperance that
exists deep in many natures.
Unwisely used, alcohol is a means
of destruction, of death; scientific
ally used, it il valuable stimulant,
and under certain conditions food
"a food more easily assi:DiIa,ed
more readily converted into energy,
than any other of which we have
knowledge; for the vital forces may
be at such low eDb that there il
either time nor the ability to elab.
crate by the process Of digestion or
dinary food and convert it into en-
ergy. Under these circumstances,
alcohol, because Of the fact that il is
in a form to be absorbed and con.
yerted into force without undergoing
digestion, is food OF inestimable
value. To illustrate:
Suppose steamer in the river
above Niagara Falls. She is well
equipped with engines, boilers, and
ali necessary machinery; for some
reason the steam has been allowed
to sink to a dangerously low point,
and it is discovered that unless
something is Immediately done the
current will bear her on to the rap
ids and inevitably to destruction.
The engines are there, ready to re-
spord to steam; the boilers are
ready to convert the water into
steam; the bunkers are full Of coal
ready TO be transformed into en-
ergy-but there is no time! Sup
pose for our illustration there are in
the hold large tanks OF gas piped
ready to the furnaces; it is turned
on, and instantly the boilers are
wrapped in roaring, seething
flame. Almost Immediately the
steam pressure begins to mount,
the engines feel the force, and slow
ly the current that was bearing il to
destruction is overcome, and the
vessel makes her way up to safe
and placid waters.
But on her way through the lakes
they do not continue to use gas un.
der high pressure, at the risk OF
burning out the boilers, ard wreck