The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-06-01
Losing Faith
Are the Doctors

III RAl ittE
Sir Victor Horsley OF London, said
at the meeting OF the British Medical
Association In Toronto: ';You are
probably aware Of the attitude OF the
medical, profession towards alcohol
on this side of the water, viz: That
the medical profession as a whole has
d hostile rather than friendly feel
ing toward the drug which we eau
alcohol"
The medical fraternity OF France
has taken the same view of the mat
ter. Il. s..
Or. s. A knoaf. of New York,
honorary vice president of the British
congress on tuberculosis. In his prize
essay on that disease and how 70
combat 1t. says: Avoid all alcoholic
beverages"
Prof, Vincent 7. Bowditch, of Har-
ward Medical School maintains that
alcohol not only does no good In CON
sumption. but that It does distinct
harm.
DR.. Henry p. LOOMS. of New York
City, In public lecture said Il was
formerly thought that alcohol was In
some way antagonistict to tubercu-
losis, but the observations OF late
years indicate clearly that the reverse
Is true. and those who use alcohol
alchol are much more liable to have
tuberculosis than those who do not
use It.
DR.. L. D., Mason, of Brookly, N. Y,
sent a circular letter to the various
medical colleges Of the United States
and one to Canada, inqniring as to
the methods of teaching on the use
subject of alcohol, and from the re.
plies he received he draws these con-
clusiops; That; the average medical
student is far in advance of the av-
erage medical practitioner of the
past or of the present who has not
had his advantages or made for
himself special study OF the nature
and properties of alcohol and Its re-
lation to alcoholic medication.
We have many things to unlearn
regarding alcohol; even our teachers
in medical schools are coming to this
conclusion. e
They. have been teaching us that II
is a stimulant, but now many of them
admit that instead of its being n
stinmulant 1t is a poisonous narcotic
and anesthetic. Our old text books
on the practice of medicine, after ex-
hausting all their 5resources. aud
when they know of nothing that will
do any good usually wind up by say
ing: give alcoholic sttmulants as the
last resort" -
The first year practiced medicine
was employed by a good German
family to treat the mother in the
mother In the home, for anasarca. or
general dropsy. and when had fall
ed to cure the good woman and she
continued to grow worse, and just
before she died, her father asked
me what more could be done for her.
/ and could only say that i would
give her whiskey. But imagine my
surprise and chagrin when the level
headed old farmer told me II thar
was all that could be done he objected
as he did not want his daughter to
died drunk. Was not this the quaint
essence of presumption FOR an old
gray headed man that was not sup
posed to know anything about treat
ing disease to talk to a young man
lust out of medical college where he
had gotten all medicat knowledge OBJ
tainablefresh handed from the mas
ters themselves, who told us that
when all things else failed then to
give alcohol. But when 1 took sec
ond. thought did not remember that
they said that It ever cured any one
Of disease. You have all been there,
and of course know that this Is a very
critical time in a young mans career,
and that he not only knows, but that
he knows that he knows. 4.
A number of times since then ]
have been guilty OF the same o1ense
OF giving alcohol at the end Of the
struggle and SO have you,, have YOU
not2 And does not your conscience
prick you somo what? Mine does.
Do you think that you ever prolonged
a patients life for one day by giving
alcohol? I amconfident that ! never
did. Instead of aiding the cause of
temperance we have hipdered 1t, as
we are held up as advocating the use
of alcohol. Every once in while
some medical man rises up in his
ttuNuGAlGS SAA1 A1SbCAAhts W
the cauteen to the army, and also
some one finds out that alcohol is a
food. Can a. substance be food and
n poison at the same time?' Physiol-
ogy does not teach 1t. The iaboring
man has been taught to call beer
liquid bread through the supposed In
fallibility OF the medical profession.
In states where the medical profess
sion has taken steps to combat the
abominabie liquor business, the cause
of temperance has gained rapidly.
Town after town has voted out the
saloon in these states and this Is due
one may say that the medical profess
in great measure to the interest ta-
ken by the medical fraternity. Some
sion has no business rneddling in the
temperance question. If not. pray
who has right?
We all certainly know that the
whiskey business is a great evil the
world over. and that ityis the source
OF more crime. murders. and every
thing of vile nature, than anything
else. and by telling the truth and
nothing but the trutI We can further
the temperance cause more than any