The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-23
ALCOHOL AND coMMU-
NlcAsLE DISEASE.

ALCOHOL AND coMMU-
NlcAsLE DISEASE
BY Cora Frances Stoddard, Secretary
of the Scientific Temperance Fed
Grafton,
War to the finish has been declared
on the communicable diseases. The
germ is being tracked to his lair and
.ruthlessly eNtermiRhted, together
with his ancient and well.tried means
lof aviation. the fly and the mosquito
or his overland carriers such as the
rat. tr
Science has pointed out that there
are two methods, both necessary, by
which these germ.caused diseases can
be prevented. We must destroy the
germs and their carriers; We must
straighten the body against invasion
by them.
Some OF the most fascinating medi.
cal discoveries OF recent years have
been those of the body's defenses
Iagainst these invading enemies. 1t
is now well known that white blood
corpuscles, for instance, act as body
soldiers OF defense against the germs,
enveioplng and consuming them.
Much depends on the vigor Of those
I%hite blood cells. 1t may be i'm
paired by overheetlng or chilling The
body, by fatigue, worry, lack of prop
er nutrition. Alcohol seems to par.
alyze their activity.
Besides the white blood Corpuscles,
the blood has other means of de-
stroylng disease germs. The pres
ence of alcohol, evn WIN taken in
comparatively small amounts. hin
ders the formation or action of these
other protective agents.
Laitineu found that the resistent
power of the blood was decreased
with persons who used daily no more
than 3.S, to 80 ounces of, claretawine
asday,y This would be the equivalent
of one or one and one.half eight
ounce glasses of 81 per cent. beer
Kern's experiments with animals
show that alcohol given in amounts
no larger than the equivalent of
one S.ounce glass of 3h per cent. beer
a day for man, decreased bodily re-
sstance to tuberculosis, Fastening the
fatal end. With these smallest doses
the alcohol animals died. on the aver
age, Is days sooner than the non.al-
cohol animals: With large doses, the
equivalent for man being Az eight
ounce glasses of Sia per cent. beer,
the animals died "a days sooner than
the infected non.alcohol animals.
When pneumonia broke out in both
groups of animals. the death rate in
the alcohol animals was. from two to
eight times as great as IN the non-aI'
cohol animals,
In these and many other delicate
and complex experiments We have
explanations of a fact long observed
that in epidemics of infectious dis
ease the drinkers Of alcoholic bev-
erages are apt 10 show a greater sus-
ceptibility to the disease, have 1t
more severely and larger proper
ton die.
This direct injury done by alcohol
to the properties of the blood, is
supplemented by the direct effects OF
alcohol-the changes 1t produces in
bodily organs resulting for example,
in heart weaknss at critical periods
Of illness. To these must be added
the external condition Of poor hous'
ing, food and clothing which often
accompany heavy drinking. and all
add their influence in preparing. the
way for disease,
In view of all these facts from eX-
pertinent and experience. the logical
conclusion must be that the beverage
use OF dlcOUul, tNCIl III SO-N"''SN
crate" amounts. is an invitation to
germ Infection. and that alcohol is an
ally to disease and death.
Any popular campaign for abolish
ing communicable disages will be Sc
riously incomplete, therefore, If the
relation OF alcohol to them is neglect
ed. There must be increased empha-
sis upon the fact that to whatever eX-
tent alcohol contributes 10 disease, TO
that extent the disease is wholly I'M
necessary and easily avoidable,
Hence the alcohol habit and the
alcohol traffic can not and must not
be Ignored by physicians, health Of
ticers and The cooperating public in
the effort to cut down the death rate
from preyentable disease.
1t is Important that the people
shonld know how tuberculosis and ty-
pholdi are spread; how to prevent
them; that the state should exercise
every power 1t possesses to wipe gut