The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-09-09
Effects Of Alcohol.

There are several striking pecu-
liarities of alcoholism. No evil of
our present time has aroused so much
interest, nor so much careful study.
The question as to whether or not
alcoholism is a hereditary disease has
long been a point of contention.
For many years it was believed that
consumption was a disease of the
blood. Because a parent or both
parents died from the disease 1t was
thought that the children would inner
it the same fatal malady. This is no
longer accepted as true. Raised in a
family of consumptives it is natural
that the trouble. may be contracted
but the healthy baby of healthy par
ents might contract the disease also
| If raised in family of consumptives,
not exercising proper sanitary pre-
cations.
The same question applies to alco-
holisms.
The same explanation is being made
by the University of London, where
close observation and study has
been made by Prof. Karl Pearson
and others of this faculty.
Over 5000 children have been re-
Gently examined. The children We're
selected from the working classes
in Edinburgh and Manchester. They
were observed closely with results
quite subversive of the prevalent
opinion regarding the deleterious eff
fects of alcoholism on the victims
offspring.
Prof. Pearson shows that as wa,'
earners the alcoholic parents are on
ly a trifling percentage behind the
nondrinkers, and this he believes
argues for a slight superiority in ply
sique and intelligence over the alb
stinent class since the drinking hab-
it, in itself, is apt to be penalized by
a lower wage. Passing to the chill
dren he says there is decidedly a
higher death rate among the children
of alcoholic parents than among the
children of parents who do not drink
This, however, is easily explained in
the neglect of drunken parents, and
in the improper attention given them
1t is not because of any hereditary ten
dency, but, like in tuberculosis, it is
in the improper protection of their
offspring after birth that results in
the increased death rate.
In height and weight the tests stand
even between the two classes.
The general health of children of
alcoholic parents appears to be much
better than that of sober parents.
There are fewer delicate children
among the descendants of alcoholic
parents, tuberculosis and epilepsy are
markedly less frequent This point
is striliingly shown, the percentage
being about one-third. This is parti-
ally explained on the hypothesis that
the physically stronger parents in
community have a stronger craving for
drink, and partly because the death
rate among children of inebriates is
greater eliminating the weakings.
Alcoholism reveals no connection
with abnormal or defective eyesight
nor is it the source of mental defect
in children.
"To sum up" says the government
report upon the investigation of the
university, no marked relation has
been found between the intelligence,
physique or disease of the offspring
and parental alcoholism in any of the
categories investigated.
But this is no reason why parents
should feel encouraged to drink, for
the evil results show themselves in
many ways.
The ahbit may not be hereditary
but it is easily acquired.
1t is not necessary to inherit a
disease to die from it. Drink is a
bad thing in any aspect you view it.
The facts disapprove theory, how
ever and it is well to respect the dis
coveries of science.-From the Mem
phis Tenn, Commercial-Appeal.