The citizen., 1912-03-21
ALCOHOL AS FOOD SUPPLIFR
Science Has Proved That Finest
Grades OF Whisky are Almost az
Poisonous as Inferior Ones.


race might have left a better record
had he been a passenger OF the water
wagon" said the Rev Homer u. Hen
derson. pastor of the Third United
Presbyterian church Of st. Louis, In
sermon on Science and Alcohol"
THE need OF the water wagon Is as
old as time. Even the code Of Ham.
Murabi. the proof OF so many ancient
records, gives evidence that in the
day OF its writing the wagon was need.
ed and its benefits we're sought
"'Tke water wagon, the steam roller
OF the reform age" was the charac-
terization Of the temperance move
son, whose sermon was a sweeping
attack upon alcohol from the scien-
lists viewpoint The conclusions and
facts concerning alcoholism were
gained by the minister during re-
searches and investigations covering
year and n half and embracing sci
entiiic opinion the world over.
THE production Of alcohol" he
said. "is most significant and is not
suggestive of wholesomeness. II Is
not a strength giver and an energy
builder, but is in itself the result OF de-
composition. Although It exists nat
urally in the fruits and grains and in
the human body, may we not even
presume, then, since Il is produced
by decomposition, that 1t exists in the
places found as the material result OF
decomposition and waste? How. then.
can 1t aid health or restore that con-
dition?
"As a food supplier alcohol is
| failure. You would have TO buy 81 .45
worth OF beer TO get the equal in food
value of cents worth of flour. Sci
ence has proved that the best OF whis-
kies are almost as poisonous as the
! interior grades in the same quanti-
ties.
1t has been proved by Professor
Kraepelin OF Munich that even one
! glass OF beer diminishes the physical
and mental energies.
THE most noted change in the at.
titude toward alcohol has occurred
among the men Of medical science
who are relinquishing its use and in
many cases refusing to attend pa
tent until all effects Of liquor have
| disappeared.
The medicinal use of alcohol in ty-
phoid. erysipelas. lung affections and
! blood poisons is being abandoned.
through the steady and unerring guide
of scientific research. which is show
ing its fallacy. A successful tuber-
culosis specialist in Omaha. who re-
CARDS beer as more injurious than
whisky. has absolutely refused to
treat a patient until he discards in
toxicants Of every kind Alcohol's on
ly place in the medical world is as a
solvent and preservative.
1T has been thought that II whisky
were discarded distilleries would be
necessary for the cure OF snake bite.
An authority on serpent poisons says
that many men have been killed by
the use of alcohol as an antidote for
snake poison and that many men
thoroughly inebriated with whisky
have been killed by the bite of a
J
cheney in that line. IT is really not a
/ success.
1T has taken many years to learn
| the relation between the serpent and
alcohol, although one was instrumen.
tai in the fall of Adam, our first pa
rent, and the other OF Noah. our sec
ond.
alcohol first and most fiercely at
tacks the white corpuscles of the
blood, which are aptly termed the SOL
diers of the blood These are our
safeguards against disease germs. but
alcohol weakens and destroys them
alcohol attacks mans moral and
Intellectual stature. because its first
attack is made against his inhibition.
the finer and more delicate organism
of his brain. These are the last de-
veloped and measure the intellectual
capacity OF the man.
whisky deadens these and stupi-
fes the cultivated man, while IT bids
the cave man awake. The higher Is
suppressed and the lower is released.
| Do we not see this when we read in
our papers OF the astonishing excesses
INDUCED in by some OF our cultivated
citizens when under the influence of
liquor?
"Alcohol means more to heredity
than to any other thing concerning
life. II poisons the parent cell. Prog
eny Is lacking in vitality and mental
stature. 1t dwarfs the life-giving pow
ers of the mother. The number OF
mothers able 10 raise their young is
| decreasing.
THE once wide practice in Ger.
many of prescribing beer for young
mothers Is fast being abandoned In
New England In the early times brew
cries were exempt from taxation IL
they produced a large number OF bar
rels of beer. Now the industry is tho
most heavily taxed.
! And so the water wagon rattles
on. Some OF its passengers may be
| fanatics or extremists Some OF the
things they have said may have been
exaggerated. Some of their ideas set
forth even may not be tenable. A
small amount OF truth. enthusiasm.
prejudice and hope sometimes make
an undesirable combination But the