Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-01-21

ALCOHOL IS NOT A FOOD, BUT A POISON;
NOT q ~STIMUnANT, q AN ANAESTHETIG.
IT IMPAIR MENTAL AND MUSCULAR Eff
FIoIEHCY IT SHoRTEN5 LIFE.
elements that control the emotions, the
play Instinct, the tendency to mix with
ones kind in relaxing good fellowship.
Someaysiaalmightf be sid for alcoEol
s.ssy that part
Of the brain which IS overwerked in
the daily struggle for existence and
thereby affording opportunity for the
nervous balance to be restored by exer-
else OF the simpler faculties.
That some ipfiRence is necessary TO
preserve proper neryou and mental
peise is evidenced by tine example OF
philosophers aad scientists who have
become mentally ''1epsided." as 1t were.
by overuse Of one portion Of the brain
or disuse OF the other portion. OAR
wins loss of the aesthetic faculties and
the power of appreciation of music and
poetry is a familiar Instance. His
weird taste In literature, which enabled
him to enjoy the Iightest and trashiest
novels, was merely the call Of his SIM
pier brain elements. neglected and sup
pressed by the constant exercise of the
higher reasoning powers. But is It nee
essary to employ a poisonous drug for
such purpose 1t would appear not.
Is AIcehol a Foed7
Atwater showed that alcohol In
small quantities was utilized by the
body as a food. 1t has long been
known that alcohol is burned in the
body With the production of energy.
but poisonous mushrooms also furnish
nourishmart. Likewise. as Atwater
states. human flesh is ~dfgestibie and
nourishing. but that is no reason for
using 1t asa food.
Experience of Life Insurance..
Life insurance companies are quite
particular to exclude not only heavy
drinkers. but those whose habits show
a trend In this direction. They are TAX
ing no chances with alcohol. aud they
do not want to insure people who
'tfeedp. on il. This Is a business mat
ter with a life insurance company, and
the moral phase is not considered.
which means that its action is based
upon the facts developed by expert
ence.
The most comprehensive experience
that has been published is that OF the
United Kingdom Temperance and Cen
craI Proyident institution. In that
company the total abstainers were sep
arated from the temperate drinkers IN
the mortality experience, with the<r
suit that a difference OF 80 per cent
was shown In favor of the abstainers.
Alcohol ia no longer used In medicine
as a direct heart stimuiant. 1t is of
some value as a rapidly available tenn
porary food in tho crises of severe I'll
Desc fever. etc, when &c supplies ener-
gy 60 carry ON the body work, but even
here 1t must be used with caution be
cause OF Its toxic effect on the heart
muscle and the fact that Ii lowers the
resistance of tie body TO the noisons OF
disease.
Excluding the MORAL phase OF this
question, therefore, medical Judgment,
considering solely the scientific evf
4cnc- 1E1ii1a.s lasss -paonoaare
against the daily use Of alcohol.
Whether the occasional use OF afco-
hol as q relaxing beverage or aHaes-
tbetic for sveractiso brain eenters is
permissible each must decide FOR
himself. Il is right. however. that the
grave RISKS or egen occasional indtl-
Eencs should be known aud rerrsul-
tered. Certainly nc man Of feeble