The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-07-30
Fe arful Consequences
Follow the Practice.
IS WORSE THAN RUM
Undermines the Constitution
and Causes Loekjaw and
Erysipelas, Says Mr..
John Danner.
(Legalized Evil No. Az.

people has been that only strong drlnks,
such as rum, whiskey and brandy ase
harmful, and that beer is comparatively
harmless. This is a great mistake.
Thorough investigation shows that beer
ia more deceptive and destructive than
any Of the other stronger drinks. Not
long ago, the Toledo Blade, Of Toledo,
Ohio, made a thorough investigation
of this matter through the physicians
Of that city. While / would not tres
pass upon your valuable space in the
News-Democrat to give one-fourth of
what the Blade published, will quote
enough to convince all honest people
that beer should not be used by any
one who values life and health.
DR.. S. H. Burgen, a practitioner for
thirty-five years, twenty-eight in To-
ledo, says:
II think beer kills quicker than any
other liquor. My attention was first
called to It's insidious effects, when l
began examining for life insurance. /
passed as unusually good risks five
Germans-young business men, who
seemed to be in the best Of health,
and to have superb constitutions. In
a few years the whole five dropped of,
one after another, with what ought to
have been mild and easily curable d.
seases. On comparing my experiences
with that Of other physicians, l found
they were all having similar luck with
confirmed beer drinkers, and my prac-
tice has since heaped confirmation on
confirmation.
"The first organ to be attacked is
the kidneys; the liver soon sympa-
thizes, and then comes most frequently
dropsy or Bright's disease, both cer-
tain to end fatally. Any physician who
cares to take the time will tell you
that among the dreadful results Of beer
drinking are lockjaw and erysipelas,
and that the beer drinker seems incap-
able Of recovering from mild disorders
and injuries of a grave character.
Pneumonia, pleurisy, fevers, ETC.,
seem to have first mortgage on him,
which they foreclose remorselessly at
an early opportunity.
"The beer drinker is much worse off
than the whiskey drinker, who seems
to have more elasticity and reserve pow
er. He will even have delirium tre-
mems, but after the fit is gone you will
sometimes find good material to work
upon. But when beer drinker gets
into trouble it seems almost as II yOu
have to recreate the man before you
can do anything for him. / have talk
ed this for years, and have had abund-
ance OF living and dead instances
around me to support my opinion.
DR.. S. s. Thorn, a physician Of ex-
perience in the army, and twenty years
practice in Toledo, said: "Aduftera-
tions are not the most important thing,
in my opinion. 1t is the beer itself.
1t stupefies his intelligence. because it
is a narcotic, and cumulative in its ef-
fects. For instance, mercurials are
cumulative. A dose of one-sixtecnth
or one thirty-second OF grain would
have no appreciable effect on the sys-
tenn; but number Of these administer
ed consecutively would soon produce
salvation and other destructive results.
nicious agencies in the system, until
they become destructive. Every man
who drinks beer in any quantity, soon
begins to load himself with soft, un-
healthy fat. ttFlktS
" This is bad, because 1t is the result
of interference with the natural elm
man, no matter what his constitution,
can 60 on long with his system full OF
the morbid and dead matter which the
kidneys and liver are intended to work
on,
'If you could drop into little cir
Gle Of doctors, when they are having
a quiet, professional chat, you would
hear enough in few minutes to terri
fy you as to the work Of beer. Prob
ably a half a dozen physicians will
have given fifty recent cases, when
apparently strong, hearty men, at a time
Of life when they should have been Ia
their prime have suddenly dropped
into the grave. To say they are habit
ual beer drinkers is sufficient explana-
tion to any physician. ~
"The life insurance companies make
business Of estimating mems lives.
They expect q man otherwise hearty,
who is addicted to beer, will have his
life shortened from 40 to GO per cent.
For instance. II he is twenty years old
and does not drink beer, he may reas-
onably be expected to reach the age Of
sixty-one. II he is beer drinker, he
will probably not live to be over forty
or forty-five, and SO on. There is no
sentiment or prejudice about these fig-
ures. They are simply cold blooded
facts. derived from experience; and the
insurance companies invest their money
ON them just as a man pays so many
dollars for SO many feet Of ground or
bushels Of wheat.
II have told you the frozen truth,
cold scientific facts. such as the profess
sion everywhere recognizes as abso-
lutte truths. do not regard beer drink
Ing as safe for any one. 1t is a danger
Gus, aggressive evil no one can tamper
with, with any safety to himself. There
is only one safe course. and that is to
let 1t alone entirely.
For want Of space have omitted
much more that has been testified to.