Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-10-09

peranee. The fact is really moderate
quantities of spirituous drinks dimip-
ish the work power OF the brain. fact
that has been demonstrated by modern
scientific apparatus. Alcohol never
makes man wiser. II only lowers a
mans demands on himself until at last
nothing is too silly or boorish to sat
isfy him. This temporary injury TO
the brain, If the use OF alcohol is con
tinued, leads innumerable people into
permanent brain disease. Alcohol is
to-day one of the most Influential
sources of mental disease IL has comg
TO such a pass that in some years moro
than half of the men who go to tbe
state insane asymms OF Southern Aus.
trla owe their insanity to the use of
alcohol, And this enumeration does
not even include the insane by reason
OF the drinking habits OF their ances
tors. Neither does it take into account
the epileptics idiotic, and defective
children Obliged to suffer for the want
of understanding and the crime of
drunken parents. Alcoholic injury IA
the brain does not always lead TO thu
insane asylum. Very often II becomes
the road to prison. Seven to eight.
tenths of all the unlawful transactions
from breaking windows to breaking
heads. conscientious officials attribute
to the influence of alcohol Countless
accidents. especially on Mondays. arc
also nothing but the after-effects OF al
cohol, making people foolhardy and
blind Ia danger OF every sort. The
very worst effect OF alcohol upon the
| brain is the change of character 1t pro-
duces Sometimes people OF the very
best disposition are permanently
changed through alcohol and become
| irritable. vulgar. abusive and quarrel
some. Thousands on thousands Of
marriages have become a hell for both
husband and wife on account of tho
drinking habits of the man In such
cases the children suffer most are
badly brought up, neglected, treated
will cruelty. All of these alcoholic
diseases attack the people who seem
able to endure great amount OF
liquor as surely as those who are
easily made drunk. Ability to endure
much liquor does not indicate that the
organs of the body are protected
against Injury from alcohol, but only
the power to conceal its effects on the
brain. Men employed in the manufae-
ture and sale of liquor are seldom seen
drunk, but the statistics OF mutual
benefit associations show that a great
er majority of such people die of al
| -.
employments. In Austria. we still lack
statistics of the injuries to our peO-
pie from the use of alcohol. But the
statistics of other countries, where an
equal proportion of liquor Is consumed
allow an estimate. In the cities OF
Switzerland, every tenth man dies
from drink-either directly or indirect-
ly. These are not all carried of by
specific alcoholic diseases Quite fire.
quently Il is some other sickness that
would not have resulted in death IL
alcohol had not diminished the power
of resisting disease. Any wound, or
any contagious disease consumption
among others. develops more serious
ly and with more danger in an organ
ism weakened by alcohol The statis-
ties of English life insurance societies
demonstrate that. They have there.
millions of total abstainers. people
who never touch a drop OF alcoholic
liquors. Many insurance societies give
them a reduction of premium, because
they have discovered that the death
rate among total abstainers is one
fourth less than that of moderate
drinkers of the same age. Consider.
ing all of these facts, we are Obliged to
agree with Or. Max Gruber, professor
of hygiene in the University OF Vienna
who has often declared in public: We
cannot think evil enough of alcohol;
even moderate quantities Of 1t are al
Ways an inilrV Z"