The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-11-28
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMpERANCE.
Liquor Dealers Have Long Used the
Billboard to Exploit Their
Wares, and Now They Find This
Gun Turned Upon Themselves.

Wares, and Now They Find This
Gun Turned Upon Themselves.
The promoters of intemperancs
have long ind%ustriously utilized the
billboard. Now they are finding
their guns turned upon themselves.
In some parts of this country the
billboard Is being used to proclaim
the truth regarding the nature and
effects Of beer and whisky, instead
of the usual lies with which the
brewer and the distiller have de-
ceived the people. But across the
Atlantic this movement has made
muchs greater progress, and Is not
confined to philanthropic societies or
individuals, but is being prosecuted
by many municipalities.
The movement frs: attracted sc.
GUS attention a few years ago when
the bill-boards Of Paris were deco
rated with warnings of this charac-
ter. The wine men few to the res
cue and set up doctors to protest.
Public debates and discussions fol-
lowed, in which the wine men got
the worst of the talking matches.
Then the policy spread to German
cities, and even Madrid was deco
rated with these bill-boards. CT
penhagen followed and then the
movement reached England, where
it spread more rapidly than any
where else.
In England the bills were posted
chiefly by the health officers of the
various municipalities at the expense
Of the cities themselves. The liquor
dealers attempted to prevent the use
Of public monies for this purpose by
court proceedings, but were defeated
In test cases.
The following Is a sample Of an
official proclamation posted by more
than sixty municipalities in Great
Britain:
CITY OF NOTTINGHAM.
Physical Deterioration and Alcohol
ism.
The report of the committee pre-
scented to Parliament by command of
His Majesty states that:
The abuse Of alcoholic stimulants
is q most potent and deadly agent
of Physical Deterioration.
Alcoholic persons are specially IL
able to tuberculosis and all infam-
matory disorders. Evidence was
placed before the committee showing
that in abstinence is to be sought
the sources Of muscular vigor and
activity. The lunacy figures show a
large and increasing number Of adj
missions of both sexes which are due
to drink.
The following facts, recognized by
the medical profession and p~lacarded
all over France by order Of the gov
eminent, are published in order to
carry out the recommendation OF the
committee, and to bring home to men
and women the fatal effects Of alco-
hol on physical efficiency:
Cd Alcoholism Is a chronic pois-
oning, resulting from the habitual
use Of alcohol whether as spirits,
wine or beer), which may never go
as far as drunkenness.
ca 1t is a mistake to say that
those doing hard work require sttm-
ulants. AS a fact, no one requires
alcohol as either food or tonic.
(3) Alcohol Is really a narcotic,
dulling the nerves like laudanum or
opium, but it is more dangerous than
either, in that often its first effect
is to weaken a mans s~elf-control
while his passions are excited; hence
the number Of crimes which occur
under it's influence.
"a Spirits, as usually taken,
rapidly produce alcoholism: but mild
er alcoholic drinks, as beer, and even
cider, drunk repeatedly every day,
produce after a time alcoholic pois-
oning with equal certainty.
60 The habit of drinking leads
to the ruin of families, the neglect
Of social duties, disgust for work.
misery, theft and crime. 1t also leads
to the hospital, for alcohol produces
the most various and fatal diseases,
including paralysis, insanity, diseases
of the stomach and liver and dropsy.
It also paves the way to consump-
ton and frequenters Of public
houses furnish a large proportion OF
the victims of this disease. It COM
plicates and aggravates all acute dis
eases: typhoid fever, pneumonia, cry
sipelas are rapidly fatal in the sub
ject Of alcoholism.
CO. The sins Of alcoholic parents
are visited on the children; If these
survive infancy they are threatened
with idiocy or epilepsy, and many
are carried away by, tuberculosis,
meningitis, or phthisis .(consump-
tion).
CD In short, alcohol is the most
terrible enemy to personal health, to
family happiness. and to national
prosperity.
BY order Of the Health Committee.
Forbes Robertson Mulch, M. D.,
Chairman.
Philip Boobbyer, M. D.,
Medical Officer Of Health.
Countersigned, Samuel G. John
son, Town Clerk.
The Rev. John F. Hill, D. D., In
the Presbyterian Banner.