Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-07
Alcohol and Racial Degeneration.

Now that the most advanced medi-
cal science is lending its aid against
the liquor evil, and great commercial
and Industrial concerns are making
and enforcing hard and fast rules
against intoxicants and drinkers in
any degree. those who oppose the ini-
auitous traffic are encouraged.
Many men who drink moderately,
who believe they have perfect right
to do so. and that it can in no wise
injure them, their families or pros
poets, are being brought to realizing
sense of their danger. They are at
last understanding that the lies so
smoothly told by the makers OF in
toxicants and which they have be-
lieved so long, are circulated for the
purpose of quieting the fears of the
cautious but thirsty; are for an excuse
for the man in a more advanced stage
whose thirst is becoming his master;
are for the purpose of inducing boys
to form the drink habit
These men better realize the effect
of even moderate drinking when
they read such as the following, from
the Journal of the American Medical
Associations:
Most discussions of alcohol are
frankly partisan and therefore partial.
An account may be entirely accurate
and yet fail to be just, because OF
what it leaves unsaid- In any event
propaganda must be preceded by facts,
and these must, in turn be considered
in a spirit of fairness and with due
regardlto conflicting possibilities, One
of tines important and widely discussed
phases of the question involves the ef-
feet of alcohol on the offspring. Rec
ords of degenerates, statistics on in
sanity and other diseases have been
gathered in abundance and contribut-
ed as evidence in one way or another.
Statistics are proverbially uncertain
unless they are collected with due in
telligence and interpreted with reason
able precaution, hence it is always
gra flying to have observations sub
Stimulated by properly controlled ex-
periments on lower animals For this
purpose, Professor Stockard of the
Cornell University Medical College,
New York. has undertaken a study of
racial degeneration in lower animals
treated with alcohol.
In Stockard's experiments alcoholic
treatment was given to guinea pigs by
an inhalation method. Alcoholic males
were then mated with normal females.
In the maternal test alcoholic females
were paired with untreated males. The
outcome of these investigations has
been convincing in their demonstration
that alcohol may affect the offspring
through either parent. Though the an
imals were never completely intoxicat-
ed, they were in state of chronic al
eoholism. Nine matings of normal an
imals in the same group gave nine liV-
ing filters of seventeen vigorous in
diyiduals Out of forty-two matings
of alcoholized animals only seven
young survived and five of these We're
runts. In the paternal tests there were
abortions, still-born filters and early
deaths; the maternal test resulted
much the same; when both parents
were alcoholic in most cases the mat
ines resulted in no offspring, very ear
ly abortions, or still-born filters. The
single offspring born living from four
teen matings of alcoholic parents died
in commissions at an early age. In
general the deaths of these unhealthy
young followed symptoms of nervous
disorders.