Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-03-01
THE MODERATE pRlNkER.
By chsfes w. Eliot. LID, President
of Harvard University.


meaning, and so essentially the result
OF careful investigation and experience.
that the message it contains assumes
Unusual mportance.-The Editors.)
L have been all my life what is call
ed moderate drinker-that is to say,
l have used beer and wine on occasion,
though never Northumberland l have
never experienced any ilI-effects what
ever In my own person from either beer
or wine. Again, have always recog-
nized the truth of the Bible saying
about wine, that 1T maketh glad the
heart of a man." There is no doubt
of that fact; nevertheless, 1t may be
doubted whether it be expedient that
the heart Of a man should be glad in
that way. Frequent observation has
made me sure that alcoholic drinks
have a tendency to cheer people up
temporarily, and make them jolly and
noisy, but the doubt about the ex-
pediency of that kind Of elevation has
gained on me as years have passed.
The recent researches in physiology
and medicine tend strongly to show
that even the moderate drinking of al
cNhoi is ineXp6dient AS a result of ex-
perience the old practice in regard TO
the use of spirits has been absolutely
abandoned. No longer are men who
are to be exposed to cold, heat, IA
tigue, or hardships of any sort, pre-
pared or braced for such encounters
by any form Of alcohol. 1t used TO be
considered essential that a sailor in the
merchant marine or in the navy should
be braced every day for his arduous
work by grog; but now grog has been
abolished in our navy years and is no
longer served in well conducted ships
Of the merchant marine The result is
q demonstration that the rough, expos
ed life OF a sailor was not really help
ed by the moderate us of alcohol; in
truth it was injured. No captain of
an ocean liner exer supports himself
now against the fierce exposures Of the
bridge by means OF alcohol He may
take hot tea. coffee or lemonade TO help
him keep warm and awake; but he
never braces himself when exposed to
terrible weather by means of alcohol
It is Just so in regard to strenuous
intellectual labors. 1t was long sup
posed that nobody could bear the la
bors Of a prime mir ster of England
in the house Of commons late every
night, and in Downing street during
long hours every day-unless he was
supported by one or two bottles of port
per Gay. Many famous men have lived
that laboriOus life under such stinula-
ton but all such practices are now
absolutely abandoned. 1t is well known
that alcohol, even If moderately used,
does not quicken the action of the
mind. nor enable one better to sup
port hard mental labor. On the con-
trary, all intellectual workers find al
cohol a drag on their mental process;
and if they get accustomed 10 working
on alcohol they are apt to offset its eff
fects by an immOdreate use OF tea or
coffee Hard mental workers who use
the double stimulation of wine and tea
or coffee are admittedly burning the
candle at both ends. On this subject
the value Of alcoholic drinks 10 men
engaged I'm intellectual labor-I have
myself Witnessed a great change Of
opinion well informed men. The
new psyc gical laboratories of the
some American, have supplied valuable
evidence on this subject, and their re-
suits are plain and all go one way.
For instance the effect of a moderate
use of alcohol on clerks whose princi-
pal function is to add UP columns Of
figures, has been thoroughly studied. II
such a clerk drinks during the day a
moderate amount Of beer or wine 1t
has been proved tha- he cannot add as
well the next day as If he had taken
no alcohol the ~ before. These ex-
perinents have been conducted on a
large number Of persons. so large as
to establish the psychological fact.
An interesting line of experiment has
been on what is called the time reac-
Llcls by LEuB reaction Is llGdlL TIE
interval that elapses between hearing
q sudden noise. or seeing a flash of
light. and putting the muscles of the
hand and arm in motion 10 touch a
given spot or object. The signal en-
tiers the brain through the eye or ear.
and the viii then sets the motor nerves
OF the arms and fingers at work to
make the indicated motion In differ
emit individuals this interval varies
much. Now il has been demonstrated
that alcohol-even in the most moder-
ate quantity-affects unfavorably the
time reaction--that is it solws down
the whole nervous action of the man
who takes 1t. and this slowing effect
lasts for hours and even days.
Some years ago had occasion to |
learn about the actUal time reaction Of
well known pugilist. He was ex-
pecting to fight in city at some dis
lance from Boston. The day of the
fight had been fixed, but the pugilist
had been on succession of sprees.
His trainer could not control him. and |
he had been under the influence Of al !
cohol a good part Of his time. He was
brought to Cambridge and his time re-
action was tested. 1t proved to be
slow. Now this man had always been
famous for his quickness Of eye and
fist A prize fighter has need of very
short time reaction. He must see by
the motion Of his adVerSarys fist Just
where his adversary is intending 70
strike. and he must put his own arm
quickly In the right place to fend off
the coming blow A slow time reaction !
will make success impossible for a
boxer, a fencer. or a runner of short |
races. The effect Of alcohol on the
time reaction Of the human being has
now been tested carefully in hundreds
Of cases, and there is no question about
the i'll effect Of alcohol even in very
moderate doses. That means that alco-
hol even T. moderate doses diminshes
the efficiency Of the skilled workman, |
or, in other words. makes him incapa-
bic Of doing his best in the work Of
the day
BENJAMIN Franklin made a very ear
" observation of this subject when ne
first worked as a very Young man, in
an English composing room. Drinking
no beer he found he could easily sur
pass the English wOrkmen In the print |
ing Office, and he attributed his greater
capacity to abstinence from beer, which |
was the favorite and habitual drink of
his fellow workmen. So say that the |
recent progress in medieal science.
largely accomplished through animal |
experimentation. has satisfied me that |
the habitual use Of alcohol. even in
moderate quantities. is inexpedent. be- !
cause it lowers the nervous and intel |
lectual power of the human being IF a |
man is leading am intellectual life IL
he be engaged in work which interests |
him keeniy. stirs him, and requires the !
active use Of his powers Of thought |
then he viii inevitably feel the retarI-
ing and deteriorsting effect of this |