The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-11-20

to discuss the alcoholic problem as
sociological hygienic, medical, statis-
thical, economic, and scientific one.
DR.. Holitscher of Carlsbad read a pa
per on alcohol in Lobar Pneumonia
and Enterc Fever basing his studies
on statistics of forty-seven hospitals
In eighteen of which a plan was follow
ed by the alternate use of alcohol in
similar cases i'm order to determine in
which the progress was the best and
the mortality the least The death
rate was "A per cent i'm 23S cases OF
pneumonia treated with alcohol; it was
21 per cent in PAS cases treated without
alcohol. OF AZ cases complicated with
delirium tremens q were treated with
alcohol and is died; the mortality was
only 9 out of % patients of the same
class treated without alcohol Eighty
typhoid fever cases out of l6l were
treated with alcohol and Is died; of the
81 treated without alcohol only u died.
Dr. Laitinen, the Director of the
Hygiene Institute of the University of
f1tlS4uS - utllNOl GU lllC ANOA man 4NS'A
lecture on THE Influence of Alcohol on
Immunity" His lecture was based on
the result of experiments on 229 per-
sons to discover whether or not alcohol
increased or diminished the resistance
of the human red blood corpuscles to
serum and toxins, and whether any i'm
munity was conferred by alcohol on
the user He found, he declared that
the normal resisting power of the blood
serum was less in the case of drink
ers than in that of abstainers. He con-
cluded that alcohol in small doses was
injurious to the human body.
Prof. Henchen of Stockholm declar-
ed that there was unmistakable evil
dence of an intimate relation between
alcoholism and tuberculosis, and that
alcohol could never be used as a rem
edy without increasing the fatality.
That alcohol is more poisonous than
lead or phosphorus and is responsible
for much dementia and mental feeble
ness was the contention of DR.. Lee
grain, Superintendent of the Insane
Asylum in Paris. Dr. Crothers, SUI
perintendent of Walnut Lodge Hospi-
tai, Hartford, Conn, urged that habit
ual users of alcohol should be consid-
cred as insane. Prof. G. A. Schaffen-
burg of Cologne described the damage
to the circulation of the brain from
small quantities of alcohol
The declaration was made by the
Lord Chief Justice of England that in
forty years experience at the bar ant
ten years as Judge he had discover
ed beyond question 80 per cent. o
crime could be traced to drinking.
Two facts concerning this Congress
should stand out clearly. One is tina
alcohol was considered dangerous al
a beverage; that it is narcotic anC
not a stimulant. The other is tina
there is a revolution in public senti
ment especially in Continental Eu
rope, (where spirits have been useC
as far back as there is any record
concerning the use of alcohol and its
products. By invitation of the Queer
of Holland, the next Congress will bt
held at The Hague in 1911.
DR.. Crothers expressed his views OF
the alcoholic problem in the course o
an address delivered before the las
meeting of the Society for the Stud!
of Alcohol and Narcotics in Washing
ton, in which he said in part:
UTbo affOrtg # rofo,,Y,,arS boy-a c
sumed startling prominence with rev
dictionary consequences, and the deal
ers in spirits are alarmed and read il
these movements the doom of thei
business. Everywhere in the pulpit
press, and platforms are explanations
predictions, and appeals cOncernin
the alcoholic problem, but through al
this there are unmistakable signs O
the direction of the movement and tn
coming changes that are sure to TO
low.
Every advance in scientific study O
disease and degeneration shows tina
alcohol is one of the most prominen
agents, and is very vitality concerne
in the destructive diseases of tn
human race. Statistical studies O
the causes of accidents, injuries, dis
eases, and the great forces of heret
ity which enter into our civilization
bring out the same fact in create
prominence, that alcohol in some forI
is the most influential factor of thes
losses.
Medical, sociological, and econon
ical studies all confirm these fact
and make prominent the convictic
that alcohol in some way is a sourc
of danger imperfectly recognized an
yet powerful beyond measure in d,
generation and increased mortalit!
These facts have created a sense {
alarm in the public mind which is m;