The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-06-28
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FAvi5 AscJr
THE VICE OF iNTEMPERANcE.

Treves, Bart, IA, 4. v. O., LII Ds--te
speaks with Authoritative Voice.
The following is from an address de-
livered by Sir Frederick Treves, Bart.
X. &. V. o., IL. d.. in the great hall OF
Church House. Westminster, London,
before the Womans Union of the
Church of England Temperance So
clety, May 4, 1905. Sir Frederick is
physician to King Edward.
The point with regard to alcohol Is
simple enough. 1t is, of course. dis
tinctly n poison. and it is a poison
which. like other poisons, has certain
uses. but the limitations of the use OF
alcohol should be as strict as the limi-
tations of the use Of any other kind OF
poison. Moreover, 1t Is curlously in
sidious poison. in that ii produces eff
fects which seem to have only one an
tidote-acohoi again This applies to
another drug equally as insidiOus. and
that is morphia or opium. Unfortu-
nately, the term poison is by no means
an exaggerated one. when it is realized
that with alcohol as drunk by the ma
jority of the poorer classes there is
mixed viruent poison in the form OF
fusel-Oil
There is no Disgusting the fact that
alcohol is year by year less used by the
medical profession. 1t is said that II
has certain position as a medicine,
and no one will dispute that, but look
ing back over hospital drugs for the
past twenty-five years, there is no ques-
ton that the use of alcohol is emphati-
cally diminishing.
Let us take two or three points-and
remember that | am only speaking Of
the very moderate use of alcohol. In
the first place. some people say. 1T is
a most excellent appetizer. There can
be no possible harm in Just little be-
fore meal. 1t is, as the French say,
an aperitif appetiser and helps dlges-
ton" What are the facts? First of
all, no appetite needs to be artlticially
stimulated. If the appetite wants food
IL clamors for ii; If there is no appe-
tite, there is no need for food There
fore there is no need supposing the be-
lief were true SO on that ground / do
not think there is much to be made out
for its use.
Then it is said that it is strengthen
ing, and that II gives great working
power We hear great deal of this in
the advocacy OF British beef and beer.
That sounds very well, but let us view
the facts. Alcohol, curiously enough,
modifies certain constituents of the
blood in the nourlshment of the body
The process that underlies the building
up of the human frame is very much
modified. The output of carbonic acid
is very much lessened, with the result
that the drinker at once becomes i'll
nourished obviously so. No man
dreams of going into training and TAX
ing alcohol. He must reach the acme
of physical perfection, and that must
be without alcohol.
1t has a somewhat stimulating effect
and that is the unfortunate part of IT
The effect. however. lasts only for q
moment and after 1t las passed away
the capacity for work falls enormously
1t does this: 1t brings up the reserve
forces of the body and throws them
into action, with the result that wher
these are used up there is nothing t
| fall back upon. Its effect is precisely
like a general throwing the bulk of his
army into the fray and then bringln!
up. as fast as he can, all his reserve:
and throwing them in also. The imme
date effect may be impressive, but thu
| inevitable result is obvious.
AS work producer it is exceedingly
extravagant and like all other extrav
| uEHuA lutdSuItHs ltuuH W Ullg Sltd
bankruptcy. 1t is also curious tha
| troops cannot march on alcohol.
was. as you know, with the relief col
umn that moved on Ladysmith, and ol
course. it was an extremely trying
time by reason of the hot weather. Ii
that enormous column of 10000, the
first who dropped out Were not the tai
men. or the short men, or the big men
or the little men-they were the drink
ers, and they dropped out as clearly al
if they had been labeled with a big let
ter on their backs.
With regard to the circulation o
course it produces an increased heart
beat fuller pulse and redder skins
but the moment the effect has passed
Off the action of the heart is absolutel,
and emphatically weakened. Conse
quently the temporary effect is pro
duced at an enormous cost. Then there
Is its action on the central nervous sys
tenn Here its action Is that of a poi
SON. 1t first stimulates the nervou.
system and then depresses it, and, as
with other poisons which act upon this
part of the body, the higher centres gC
first They become "A little dull--a lit
tie less quick and acute. 1t is very tri
fling. but there it is; so that the mar
who does his work on alcohol-even {
very moderate amounts not at hi
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