Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-07
Alcohol a Poison.

Alcohol a Poison.
To the Editor of the Journal: Bon
forts Wine and Spirits Circular IS
the leading organ of the liquor in
terests, and is doing It's part in try
ing TO defeat our prohibitory laws.
Its editor, f. M. Gilmore, in an arti-
stfe in the outlook in March, 1910, made
the following statement:
II agree with physicians that the
excessive use of alcohol is prolific
cause of disease, with soCiologists,
that II is a prolific cause of poverty
with penologists, that il is a prolific
cause of crime, and | agree with you
that mankind should be educated eth
er to avoid the use of alcohol alto.
gethefs or to use it in moderation"
Thus he admits. practically, every
charge against the traffic. Now,
what argument does he advance for
the continuance of the business? Al
fer &ing the amount of liquor con-
suufM annually in the country, ne
asks :sx.What are you going To de
With 4Ipshple who consume this enor-
q hls 06dunt of alcohol? Would you
fAuaihH Them - The liquor dealers
policy il to cater to the depraNed APP
pSfife Of this GLASS of people, which
he admits is the prolific source of dis
easel Nbvertys and crime. The great
strug of mankind today is for the
eraaicat&s of disease, poverty ana
cafGe. II liquor interests, for tn"
lust OF gain, are doing all they can
for their increase. If Mr. Gilmore
wereA dealer in firearms. would he
sell revolver to a man whom he
knew wanted ii to shoot his neigh
bora Aid vet he would sell liquor to
men wkony he knows. in all reason.
will indulge in criminal acts! Ask
any father, mother or wife which l.
or she wouldSprefer. that their loved
one should die, drunkard or by the
hand of an ASSASSIN and they would
notsEsafate tk2Aeose the latter The
ass A2Ets a g9kxnan compared with
the MHsller latter makes scores
of vieetfnfs the ftrmer is restrained
after hiss.fn>st offe6ce Hnfng then
obtained ia admiSsson of one of the
chief expdtNSlts of he lianorfH ter
ests that thAsrafiic a. prolific gus
of the three CONGRATULATIONS that
burden humanity namely. disease,
poverty and crime, where is the man
SO dead TO the best interests of our
state that would vote to allow set
of INSCRIPTIONS rumsellers to engage
in a traffic which would increase those
aftictions which the charity, the phil
anthropy and the Christianity of the
State are doing their utmost to ale
Viate.
But there is class of people that
think it is necessary to have little
liouor in the house in case OF SICK
Oh
is this idea. let us quote the statement
Of the ,.World's Medical Congress,
held n Philadelphia. The report OF
the Section on Medicine, concluded
as follows: NO physician should in
dulee in the use of alcohol in his prae-
tice unless he is thoroughly familiar
with the dangerous nature of the ar
ktfeIe he is dealing with In other
Ls.ords alcohol is a dangerous article,
pEyen in the hands Of an experienced
nshvsician. How absolutely irrespon-
ESihle and dangerous is the advice o.
Estl,e- novice which we SO often hear
sE1iep<ta take a little whisky or sln
foSs.ttfis,s that or the other ail lnn,ai
tHhtS1y asked one of the most proml
eouatv nmllt the use of liquor and ne
said
know tts{stient is going to TO die e,n an1
| then only do it SO that the laii.idS
cannot say 7 did not try everything;
| but I never laxpeet it to do any soou
and II NEVER does" A prominent
| physician 8f-Belfast was called IN con-
snltation in q case of typhoid fever
land he said to the patient
tpAra vou not getting nearly worn out
SHE replied: Yes, doctor l am; , pu.
TAX. a great spoonful Of whiskey
three times a day. and that Keeps nie
m" The doctor replied: Don w"
| do it: it is the worst thlng you va.
| do: 1t will lower your VltailtN SO ''i'l a,
YOU will be sure to break down an
the quicker" t.. tho
We heed net base our OPINION on tiie
say so of our local physicians We
find the same thing asserted py tue
Heading physicians and surgeons an
over the world. There is not ~ per
Icent of the amount OF alcohol used IN
the hospitals that there was % years
ago In the case of typhoid fever the
nse of alcohol is conducive largely TO
| the spread of the disease. When II
was so prevalent in Chicago a Few
wears ago the board of health posted
| circulars all over the city, and printed
| in all the papers similar notices. warn
| ing all citizens to abstain from the use
| of beer and liquor, as by 50 doing
! they were more likely to escape the
rayages of the disease. 1t is Well
known that in the case of typhoid
fever the system is loaded with toxins
and the desire is to get them out OF
the body: now the toxemia is in
creased by the use of alcohol. which is
just the opposite from what it is de-
sired to effect. $50 all the elements
of danger are enhanced by the use Of
I alcohol"
Another great affiiction with which
humanity has to contend is the dread
seourge, tuberculosis. All the leading
physicians are agreed that the use or
alcohol has a predisposing tendency
to the disease. and is great assistant
10 it's development. Some investigators
claim that if we could drive out the
use of liquors tuberculosis would
speedily follow. And some. high in the