The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-11-30
NO CURE IN WHISKY
NOTED PHYSlC ANS OPPOSE AlCO-
HOL AS MEDICINE.

HOl AS MEDICINE.
Small Amount Now Used In Hospital
WeaiSens Disease Resisting Powers
OF the Body.
The British Medical association re-
gently held it's great annual gathering
In the city of Toronto, Canada. Some
of the most famous physicians and sur
geons Of England were present. The
principal speeches at luncheon given
in their honor were made by Sir Vic
tor Horsley, the renowned London sur
geon; DR.. G. Sims Woodhead, profess
or of pathology. Cambridge university.
and DR.. Murdoch Cameron, a professor
in Glasgow university.
Sir Victor Horsley began his address
with the statement that he believes
that the medical profession Of Canada
is strongly oppdFed to the use of al
cohol as drug. He referred to the
fact that in England there had been Sc
cured within few days $4,000 physi-
clans signatures to petition asking
the government to provide for the
teaching of hygiene and temperance in
the public schools.
THE real nature Of alcohol Is being
understood as never before" he said.
when l was in medical college alco-
hol was regarded as the traditional pre-
scription for post-operation conditions.
blood poisoning, pneumonia and Ger.
tain infectious diseases. Now In all
such cases alcohol is no longer used.
Forty years ago the seven great hos
pitfalls of London spent annually about
$4,000 for alcohol and about $4,000
for milk. Now the two liquids have
changed places, and the larger sum Is
expended for milk and the smaller for
alcohol. In the infirmary at Salisbury
twenty-five years ago $500 was spent
annually on alcoholic liquors. Last
year the cost was only $50. This was
due to increased knowledge of the ma
ture and effects Of alcohol.
''The change in the attitude of the
medical profession toward alcohol be-
gan with surgery, and the credit Is
really due to Lord Lister. Antiseptic
surgery rendered alcohol unnecessary.
Medical men now are looking not mere
ly to the immediate illness of the pa
tient, but are taking much wider out
look and are thinking Of the future ~
we'll as the present effects of remedial
agencies.
"As drug, in my opinion, the value
of alcohol is practically nil. Indeed,
1t may be said that the medical profes-
sion as a whole is hostile rather than
friendly to the drug alcohol. I am
glad that such a change has come In
the medical profession"
Professor G. Sims Woodhead, who
succeeded to the presidency OF the Brit
ish Medical Temperance association up
on the death Of Sir Benjamin Ward
Richardson, dwelt upon the effects Of
alcohol on the resisting powers of the
body and said that experimenters had
come to the conclusion that 1t tended to
interfere with that condition Of i'm
munity in patient by which he Is
enabled to recover from certain dis
eases. He said that until all questions
concerning it's effects had been settled
medical men should be very chary as
to the use of alcohol and should resort
to the use Of other recognized agencies.
He urged the younger physicians to
study alcohol in it's relation to disease.
Professor Murdoch Cameron, who is
a lifelong total abstainer, told Of his
meeting Kaiser william at a medical
banquet in Brussels. The kaiser wish
ed to drink with Professor Cameron to
Bonnie Scotland" The one drank the
toast in champagne, the other In water
He spoke of the custom some years
ago of giving a patient about to under
go an operation six, eight or even ten
ounces of brandy, but said all that had
changed and that hot water or hot milk
had been used with remarkable sue
cess in those cases and conditions
where alcohol had formerly been con-
sidered necessary.