Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-16
ALCOHOL AND DOCTORS.
Strong Professional Opinion Against
the Prescribing of the Former
by the Latter.


tute of Birmingham last month Sir
Victor Horsley gave an interesting ex-
position of the attitude which he con-
siders the medical profession ought to
adopt toward the alcohol question. The
points upon which he laid special
stress were, that the full extent of the
evils due to alcoholism are better
known to members of+he medical pro-
fession than to those of any other
class. The world in general was aware
that intemperance led to much illness
and disease, and great step in the
cause of truth had been made when 1t
was admitted by the home secretary
In parliament that alcohol was the
chief cause of crime. Medical men,
however, who were in a position to
see what went on behind the scenes
OF the social life of the nation knew
not only that the fatalities were far
greater than those represented IN nsos-
tally statistics, but also that moral
deterioration from indulgence in drink
occurred long before any physical toxic
eHects were evident In view of this
1act he would like to see medical men
take up a much stronger position on
the subject than had yet been the case.
Inquiries were often addressed to them
by their patients as to whether it
would not be wise to take a little al
cohol and he thought that medical men
ought always to say, mo. it is not
wise. Ii you take it you must under
stand that you take it as a luxury. We
do not yet fully know the effect of all
cehol in the body. but we do know that
It's stimulating effect is followed by a
hanger depresSant effect and that from
the physiological point of view even
small quantities are no good" In his
own surgical wards Sir Victor Horsley
never prescribed alcohol. If a patient
seemed to him to require Stimulation
ne preferred to turn to remedies such
as strychnine. The frequency with
which alcohol was prescribed in every
day practice he considered to be a mere
fashion, and believed that eventually
Its use in practice would be relocated
to the same limbo as that to which
blood-letting had been consigned.
There were a good many common be-
hefs attaching to alcohol which were
practically merely traditions. and he
would like to see a committee OF the
British Medical association appointed
to investigate what, II any. scientific
oasis any of them possessed. There
was common idea, for instance. that
whisky was a good thing for rheumatic
govt, but recent investigations tend to
show that rheumatism was due to the
invasion of a microbe, and research
equally showed that alcohol would he
likely to lessen the natural resistance
or human tissues to the invasion of
such organisms. Before concluding his
address Sir Victor Horsley alluded to
the political aspect of the question.
which certainly added something to
the difficulty of instituting effective re-
form. The existing evils. however. to
the nome and fireside he recognized
clearly, Pence reform was urgently
needed. Sir Victor Horsley's remarks
seem to have been well received by his
auditors. reports the Journal of Inebrie-
ty, and were further punetuated by
brief speeches from Mr.. ]. Furneaux
Jordan and Mr.. Jordan Lloyd. Prof.
Priestly Smith expressed a desire also
to see something done by the medical
profession to check consumption of to-
bacco. The attitude thus taken by Sir
Victor Horsley will, we believe. be ac-
cepted by the majority of medical men.
Some aspects of intemperance to-day
may be less pronounced and gross than
formerly, but the amount of secret
drinking which goes on is enormous
and few medical men in general prac-
tice are not painfully aware of chronic
domestic tragedies among their pa
uents, due to stimulants and drugs of
which the world at large knows moth
Ing. 1t is probable that greater care is
now exercised than formerly in the
prescription of sedatives and narcotics
but 1t is question whether the great
mass or the profession is as careful as
1t might be in the prescription of wine
and other stimulants. 1t should not be
forgotten that even a small amount of
alcohol is sufficient in some individuals
10 give origin to alcoholism. Nor can
1t be doubted that if the medical pro
fession sets its face against drink in
the same way as it has against dirt and
other causes of disease immense good
would result.
Money Spent on Liquor.