The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-04-14
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MEDICAL MEN BAR ALCOHOL
Some Of Foremost Practitioners Of the
World Strongly Oppose Its Use
as a Medicine.

At the international congress held
In London, some of the foremost med.
ical practitioners and instructors Of
Europe and America made reports
covering extended research, conclu-
ding in every instance with strong tes-
timony against the use of alcohol as
a medicine
DR.. Holtscher OF Carlsbad. one OF
the medical leaders OF pneumonia
spoke of nearly 500 cases of pneu-
monia and enteric fever treated with
and without alcohol. Although the
smaller number had alcohol used as a
remedy and the larger number we're
treated without the use OF alcohol
there was a smaller percentage OF
deaths among the latter class of pa
TENTS. OF cases complicated with de-
lirium tremens, 81 were treated with
alcohol and 10 died Out of 26 treat.
ed without alcohol, but nine died.
About the same propositions were re-
ported on a series OF typhoid fever
cases similarly treated.
Dr. Laitinen Of the University OF
Helsingfors lectured on the influence
Of alcohol on immunity, reporting OBJ
servations on some % cases observed,
to discover whether or not alcohol In
creased or diminished the resistance
OF human blood corpuscles to toxins.
and whether the use OF alcohol con-
ferred any immunity. He found. he
declared, that the normal resisting
power of the blood was less with
drinkers than among abstainers. He
concluded that alcohol in small doses
was injurious to the human body.
Prof. Henchen OF the University of
Stockholm declared that there was UNI
mistakable evidence OF an intimate re-
lation between alcoholism and tuber-
oulosis, and that alcohol could never
be used as a remedy without increas-
ing the fatality.
A member of the French medical
faculty in the person OF DIR. Legrain,
who is superintendent of the insane
asylum OF Paris. contended that alco-
hol was more poisonous than lead or
phosphorus and was responsible for
much dementia and mental feebleness.
DR.. G. G. Crothers. head Of the Wal.
nut Lodge hospital, Hartford. Conn.
and for many years editor Of the Jour.
nal of Inebriety, urged that habitual
users of alcohol should be considered
as insane and treated accordingly.
Before the last session of the Society
for the Study OF Alcohol and Narcot-
ics. held in Washington, DR.. Crothers
stated his views on the subject, from
the medical standpoint. rs follows:
Every advance in scientific study
OF disease and degeneration shows
that alcohol is one of the most promi-
nent agents and is very vitality con-
cerned in the diseases Of the human
race. Statistical studies of the
causes of accidents. injuries. diseases
and the great forces of heredity
which enter into our civilization bring
out the same fact in greater prom.
inence, that alcohol In some form is
the most influential factor of these
losses.
Medical, sociological and economi.
cal studies all confirm these facts and
make prominent the conviction that
alcohol in some way Is a source OF
danger imperfectly recognized and yet
powerful beyond measure in degenera.
ton and increased mortality These
facts have created a sense of alarm
m the public mind which is material
izing in various ways and is apparent
In very remarkable forms"