The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-11
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEMPERANCG.

Medical Testimony as to the Injury I"
Giving Intoxicants to Children - Ee'
sponsible For Many Diseases and Or
gnnic Troubles-A Great Evil.
Professor Max Kassowitz. the most fa-
nous authority in Vienna on children
diseases, speaking at the session IN vienna
OF the international Ant. Alcoholic: Con,
gress, strongly opposed the practice OF
giving children intoxicants in any form,
even in very moderate quantities.
Beer and wine, he held, were highly, IN
furious on account of the changing char.
acter of the bodily organs during child
growth. Such liquids were absolutely un-
nourishing and frequently led to epilepsy
and had also deadening power In learn
ing.
A Vienna schoolmaster stated that on
Mondays the children were dull and heavy
in consequence of the beer and wine drink
ing on Sunday. Fifty per cent. OF the
Vienna school children, it was stated, take
intoxicants.
The New York Herald interviewed va
rious New York medical men on the mat
ter. DR.. Louis Fisher, q leading specialist
in diseases of children, corroborated the
statements of Professor Kassowitz as to
the injury of intoxicants to those OF ten
der age. :,
Dr. Fisher was inclined from personal
observation to the belief that WINE and
beer were frequently given to children IN
this city, especially among the tenement
house population He added:
"This is observed by any physician who
has a dispensary practice. Among par
cnts of Irish birth who live on the west
side whisky is fayorite tonic for babies.
The Germans on the east side give their
children beer.
Parents seem to have the idea that by
giving children liquor they are making
them strong-that it will strengthen their
hearts. They generally begin the practice
very early. 49,. -.
growth of the children is retarded, and
their digestion is disturbed. The suffer
ing of the baby from the effects of the ad-
ministraton of liquor seems to give the
parents the idea that more is needed to
counteract the ailments. So they 60 from
bad to worse.
"To any one whose attention has been
called to the subject particularly it is re-
markable to note how much digestive
The most deplorable part of it is that the
iIl-efects of the liquor are not injurious
to the stomach alone, but quickly extend
to the liver"
DR.. Augustus Caille said the evils result
ing from the practice were real and not
imaginary. He declared that great care
was necessary in the administration of
liquors to children even by physicians.
He added that he did not prescribe whisky
or brandy for children except in extreme
cases.
Views of the Very Rov. Doan Farrar.
My reasons for taking the pledge were
partly general and partly special.
First-I became convinced that the usa
of alcohol in any form was not neces-
sity. I saw that whole nations have
lived and hourished without it. / be-
lieved that the whole race of man had ex>
isted for centuries previous to its discov-
cry.
Second-I was utruck by the indisputa-
ants of our prisons, accustomed to strong
drink all their lives, and the majority Of
them brought into prison directly or indi-
rectly by it, could be, and were, from the
moment of their Imprisonment, absolute
ly deprived of it, not only without loss,
but with entire gain to the.r personal
health.
Third-I derived from the recorded tes-
timony of our most eminent physicians
that the use of alcohol is a subtle and
manifold source of disease even to thou
sands who use it in quantities convention
ally deemed moderate; also, that all the
young, and all the healthy, and all who
eat well and sleep we'll, do not require it,
and are better without it.
Fourth-That the carefully drawn stats.
tics of many insurance societies convinced
me that total abstinence, so far from
shortening life, distinctly and undisputa-
bly, conducted to longevity.
Fifth-Then 1 accumulated proof that
drink is 80 far from being requisite to
physical strength or intellectual force,
that many of our greatest athletes, from
the days of Samson onward, "whose drink
was only of the crystal brook" have
achieved without alcohol mightier feats
than have ever been achieved with it.
Drinking Habits and Success Are Alien.
Here are some words from John D.
Rockefeller, spoken in his speech before
the great University of Chicago, to which
he has given over S9,00O,000. They de-
serve to be printed in every paper in the
land. He said to the young men: "Some
of the foes which threaten your success
may not be apparent to you until it is too
late. If you are to succeed in life it will
be because you master yourselves, and if
you are to continue masters and not slaves
you do not need that 1 should say to you
here to-day that you must jealously guard
the approach of any foe To your we'll
being. How many q young man whom 1
knew in my school days went down be-
cause of his fondness for intoxicating
drinks! No man has ever had OCCASION to
regret that he was not addicted to the
use of liquor. No woman has ever had oc-
casion to regret that she was not instru-
mental in influencing young men to use
intoxicants. The chances for success are
better to-day than ever before. Success
is attained by industry, perseverance and
pluck, coupled with any amount of hard
it in any other way" This is the esti-
mate of drinking habits formed by man
who has probably had opportunity to
know and see as many young men succeed
or fail as any other man in the land. It
is fast becoming true that drinking hab-
its and success in life will not 90 together.
baptist Argus.
A Horrible Traffic.
A step which is most desirable is to re-
press the horrible niquty, of which Eng
land and Germany are specially guilty, Of
deluging with ardent spirits-often Of the
most villainous quality y-the savage races
of Africa and other countries. and so in
curing the deadly curse OF placing
stumbling block before the helpless child
hood of the world. There are many evil
dences to show what those whom we COM
placently call "the inferior races think
of this shameful crime. The name given
in Africa to our strong drink is Shame
water; the Maoris call it Rotten-water;
the American Indians, Fire-water Drink
is DEATH" said the African chief khama;
ct is that and nothing else" "Eor every