The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-07-01
Science and the Temperance Cause.

In the study OF the 'ethnic factors in the
population OF Boston by DIR. Frederick
II. Busher, drink is described as chief
cause OF both poverty and crime more es.
pecially among the Irish, English, Scotch
and Americans.
A report of the proceedings and conclu.
sions of the Sixth International Prison
Congress. he'd at Brussels in August 1900,
made by Mr. Samuel j. Rarrows, the Com.
missioner for the United States, and lust
published by order OF our Congress, con.
tains a debate on the relation of aicoho'.
ism to crime. which confirms the conclu.
sions OF DR.. Busher as to the evil potency
of drink. DR.. Masoin, permanent Secre.
tary OF the Belgian Royal Academy of Med.
icine, opened the discussion with report
on the subject. in which he pointed out
that statistics in different countries show
differences in the ratio OF crime attribute.
BILE to alcoholic intemDerance, but that in
all it is large. As an immediate and essen,
tai influence on crime, drinking exceeds
any OF the other recognized causes. Occa.
sional lntoXication is preponderant cause
more particularly in emotional crimes and
misdemeanors and in those against morals
and ofenses against the person. but OBJ.
viousy, it is much less important as a stim.
uiation to offenses which require prepara.
ton, such as theft, swindiing, forgery and
embez2,ement.
Among the conclusions adopted by the
Congress was suggestion that lin differ.
ent countries, making allowance for lati.
| tude, climate and temperament, the max.
| imum degree OF a,coinl contained in fer.
mented liquors sh0u,d be ascertained with
view to establ shing line of demarcntion
| between alcohol and non-alcoho,ic drinks
and to show the relation between alcohol.
ism and crime and to furnish basis for
comparative statistics
A third discussion Of the evil influences
Of alcoholic drinking, recently published
| by Or. Robert Jones, the medical superin.
| tendent OF the Claybury Lunatic Asylum,
at London. is made the basis of an article
| by the Medical Record of New York. in
| which alcoholic intemperance as a cause OF
| insanity is treated specifically. DR.. Jones
| shows from public statistics that OF the
| 10000 certified insane persons now in Eng
land and Wa!es, alone, alcohol is assigned
| Is the cause OF the insanity in 2l.5 per cent
OF the males and 95 per cent. OF the fe.
males. Of those remaining in the asylums
| at the present time he believes that sat the
| lowest computation there are no hss than
10000 males and $500 female who are men.
| tally decrepit through the effects OF a.co
hol"
| DR.. Jones finds, as to age, that "the pc.
Rod of greatest incidence to the pernicous
| effects OF alcohol corresponds closely with
| that upon which falls the greatest mental
strain or, that men between twenty-five
and thirty wears. and, again, between thir-
| ly-lNe ana iorLy are more susceptible TO al
| cohol than those of anv other age.
In commenting on the conclusions of the
| English insanity expert. the Medical Rec
| ord expresses the opinion that perhaps
the assertion that drink is the most potent
,ause of mental disorders would now pass
without cayil,' for unuuestionabiy "the
brain is the organ which is most disastrous
| y affected by excessive indulgence in alco.
hol although other organs may be serious
~ injured, the outcome OF the habit is
more frequently mental dissolution"
The necessity Tor severe measures for the
protection Of society against so potent an
evil is now recognized throughout civiliza
| ton. Almost every country of the
world" says the Medical Record, "is TAX
ing up the drink question. alarmed at the
inroads which the unbridled consumption
Of alcohol has made and is making into the
prosperity, health and morals of their peo.
pie Alcohol" said DR.. de Boeck. Bel
gian insanity expert, to the Brussels Inter
national Prison Congress, sis a violent poi.
son to the nervous clements" destroys
them when taken in large doses. or BY a
slow death when taken in small, but often
repeated quantities" and "the only way
of lessening the freouence OF crimes and
misdemeanors eIgendered by alcohol is 10
forbid the SAFE of alcoholic drinks or to
raise the price to such an extent as to
pace them beyond the reach of the mass
0. the people. New York Sun.