Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-06-06
NATION
WITH OECENERATES
Alcohol to Blame for Decrease of
Birth Rate and Increase
of Insane.


generacy Is sweeping the land, and its
DEVELOPMENT threatens the physical vi
tally Of the nation,' declared DR.. r.
Alexander Mac Nicholl Of New York. for
mer surgeon of the New York Red Cross
hospital. who was sent abroad by Presi-
dent Roosevelt to investigate the subject
of alcoholism and narcotics
within period Of so years the popula-
ton of the United states increased $50 per
cent, while the number of insane and
feeble minded increase 90 per cent. ac-
cOrding to the recent census. practically
oil of which Is due to the chronic and ex-
cessive use of alcohol IN one form or an
other. and narcotics" he said
"Degeneracy SIS shown in the lessened
fertility OF the nation. In five years the
birth rate in the United States fell of
SO 1-3 per cent" Back of all the causes
for this harming condition. asserted the
surgeon, who was addressing the Ameri-
can Medical society. the study of alcohol
and narcotics show that alcohol is the
chief degenerative factor
THREATENS REPUBLIC.
"a degeneracy SO appalling in masni-
tude," Dr. MacNicholl continued, that
It staggers the mind and threatens TO
destroy this republic. numbering more
victims than have been slain In all the
wars and in all the epidemics of acute
diseases that have swept the country
within two hundred years
During the past five Years the birth
rate In the United states has fallen or
thirty-three and one-third per cent.
This means the loss of million babies
year Let this degeneracy continue
at the same rate for 100 wears and there
will not be native born child five years
old In the United States.
What Is the cause Of this degen-
eracy? A hundred different interme-
diate agencies may contribute to the
undoing of the race, but back Of them
all stands alcohol as the chief degen-
erative factor. Statistics compiled by
the leading insurance companies. and
presented by Sir T. w. Whitaker In a
report to the British Parliament, show
that out Of every 100 deaths among
the population at large. 40 are due tc
alcohol. This would mean a mortality
from alcohol In the United States of $780,
O00 year. ~
CHILDREN BEAR BURDEN.
1.-THE great burden Of drink Is not
borne by the drinker, but by the drink
ers' children. The germ cell that Is
to be evolved into another being is the
most highly organized of all the cells
In the body. In its protoplasm lies the
material and pattern of the perfected
organism.
SHOULD such poison as alcohol lesser
( tv,,v, Al t.
quality Of the protoplasmic materia
and deface the pattern these short
comings and defects would he suffi
Client in the subsequent stages of de
velopment. A defective germ cell can
not evolve normal body: this Ia thu
reason that we find large percentage
of functional and organic disease
among the children of drinking par
ents
I'm our studies among school children
in New York city we find that 81 pc
centum are the children of drinkin'
parents. and that Of per centum o
these children of drinking parents SUI
fer from some functional or organi
disease. In one institution for the treat
ment Of physical detectives recen
study shows that every patient is tn
child of drinking parents.
Our studies OF school children sho,
that one In every three Is mentally de
ficient If this percentage holds goo
lover the entire country there are 1000,
600 Of children of a school age that ar
mentally deficient. and less than 800
Of these are from hereditary alcoho
faint
Three out of five school children ar
afflicted with some functional or or
ganic disease. II the percentage hold
good, there are 100000 of childre
of a school age that are afflicted wit
functional and organic diseases. an
| less than two and a half million @
} these are free from hereditary alcohe
faint A nation half diseased and hal
we'll cannot live. but here we sho'
, three fifths of the rising generate
, mentally and physically diseased"