The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-02-21
WAR AGAINST WHISKY
How the Drink Evil Is BEING
Fought In Australia.
ALCOHOL A DEADLY SCOURGE
The Habit Of Drinking Leads to Moral
and Physical Deseneraey-Rum En-.
oenders Paralysis and Insanity and
10 a Frequent Cause Of Consumption.

0enoerS ParatySiS ana INSANITY ant
10 a Frequent Cause Of Consumption
The organization of a branch of tho
International Reform bureau at sgd
ney. n. S. W.. during the recent visir
Of D. and Mrs. Wilbur F. Crafts t.
that country was followed by tn,
adoption Of a programme covering the
reforms commended to the people OF
Australia at large.
The following poster, after pains
taking consideration, was unanimously
recommended for adoption by city gov
ernments In Australia and Throughout,
the world:
Alcoholism and Physical D~eeeneracy.
Extract from proceedings French
supervising council Of public aid. 1902
report by Professor Debove. dean OF
the faculty of medicine. and others,
alcoholism Is the chronic poisoning
which results from the habitual use OF
alcohol, eve when the latter would
not produce drunkenness.
1T is an error to say that alcohol is
NECESSARY W WI iDSA VIZ ClSdSc AL
fatiguing labor, that 1t gives heart tc
work or hat it repairs strength. The
artificial excitation which it produces
gives place very quickly to nervous de.
preston and feebleness. The habit of
drinking spirits leads rapidly to al
coholism. but the so called healthful
drinks also contain alcohol. There is
merely a difference Of doses. The man
who drinks every day an inmoderate
quantity of wine, cider or beer as sure
ly becomes aIcoholized as he who
drinks spirits.
The habit Of drinking entails dis
affection from the family. forgetfulness
Of all duties to society. distaste for
work, misery, theft and crime. 1t
leads at the least to the hospital, for
alcohol engenders the most varied NAL
aides, paralysis, lunacy, disease of the
stomach and liver, dropsy. 1t is one
Of the most frequent causes Of tuher-
culosis. Finally. it complexities and
a~ggravates all acute maladies. Ty-
phoid fever. pneumonia, e%rysipelas,
which would be mild in the case of a
sober man. quickly carry off the al
coholic drinker.
1.-The h%ygienic faults of parents fall
upon their children. If the latter sur
vive the first months they are threat
ened with idiocy or epilepsy, or. still
worse, they are carried off a little later
by tuberculosis, meningitis or phthisis.
For the health Of the individual, for
the existence of the family, for the flu
ture of the nation. alcohol is one of the
most terrible scourges."
What follows is from another French
poster, giving Verdict Of Scholars"
M. Berthelot, member Of the Acade-
mics of Science and Of Medicine: AL
cohol is not a food, even though it
may be fuel. Atwater himself did not
conclude from his experiment that al
cohol is a true food-that is, that it is
capable of assimilation by the human
organism
"Dr. Charles Richet Of the Academy
Of Medicine: If alcoholic drinks could
be entirely abolished possibly a small
portion of nourishment would be lost.
but ~ would have rendered an i'm
mense service to humanity
"Mr. Magnan Of the Academy of
Medicine. chief physician Of st. Anne
Insane asylum: In my opinion alcohol
would not be in any case a food to be
recommended. 1t pushes into our asy-
lums Of the Seine almost one-half of
the inmates
"Dr. Gardner. chief physician of the
Special Almshouse inf1rmary: The
food. alcohol. feeds crime and mad
ness. The former is indebted to this
substance for about 20 per cent of its
victims. the latter for 33 per cent"
From British city government post
ers. quoting parliamentary report on
physical deterioration prompted by
failure of a majority Of candidates for
enlistment in British army to pass the
physical examinations:
alcohol is not a source of muscular
vigor or d%eXterity. but the reverse.
"Alcohol may produce temporary *
hilaration. but depression soon fol
lows.
1.-THE continued use Of alcohol. wheth-
er IN the form OF beer, wine or spirits.
wen though not to the extent Of drunk
enness. often leads to chronic poison
ing.
"Of G1,215 people the average deaths
per year by insurance tables will be
1000.
"Of 61.215 liquor sellers the death
average Is 1912.
"Of 61.215 Rechabites (abstainers,
the average Is $50.
"Sir Frederick Treves, physician to
King Edward. declares that alcohol is
insidious poison and should be sub
ject to the same strict limitation as
morphia or %strychnine and that
It's supposed stimulating effects are
n%>nnnnraaeA and 1~neani$v