The Washington times., 1913-12-10


the land-a deseneracy so appalling
n magnitude that it staggers the
mind and threatens to destroy the
republic: numbering more victims
than have been slain in all the wars
and in all the epidemics of acute dis
eases that have swept the country
within two hundred years.
The application of modern scientlfc
methods has reduced the mortality
from acute diseases such as typhoid,
yellow fever and the plague. The
sources and the carriers OF these
infections haze been discovered BY
aboiishing he source and exteImi-
mating the fly. the mosquito and the
rat, the average length Of life has
been increased. With what marked
contrast do we deal with alcohol,
that most potent source and carrier
OF chronic disease,
Increasing Degeneracy Shown.
Degeneracy is shown in the in
creasing rate of mortality resulting
from the spread of chronic diseases.
within thirty years the mortality
from chronic diseases has doubled,
anu today chronic disorders Of the
lungs, kidneys, heart. and other or
gans are responsible for more than
half the deaths. A study Of the
within a period of ffty-three years
the population OF the United States
increased $50 per cent, while the
number OF insane and feeble-minded
increased $50 per cent. This shows
net increase IN the rate per million
OF 29l pc. cent
During the last twenty years there
has been an increase in the mortality
from hemorrnage in the brain Of 100
per cent: kidney diseases, III per
cent; diseases of the heart and cir
culation, 5s per cent; cancer, 45S
per cent; diabetes, 73s per cent This
slaughter of the race is accentuated
when We recall the fact that one in
every seven deaths is due to tubercu-
losis. and that cne in every twenty
of the population will die of cancer
Small Families.
Again. deseneracy is shown in a
lessened fertility of the race. Among
the early settlers OF this country
there was an average in excess of
eight children to a family; at the
present time 5S.7 Of native white
women in the United States who
have been married over ten years
and less than twenty years have had
one or two children, and only 80
have more than five children. One
out of every six of these women are
childless.
During the past five years the birth
rate in the United States has fallen
off SO 1-3 per cent. This means the
loss OF a million babies a year. Let
this degeneracy continue at the same
rate for one hundred years, and
there will not be a native-born child
five years old In the United States
Alcohol Back Of 1t.
What is the cause of this deyen-
eracy? \ hundred different inter-
mediate agencies may contribute to
the undoing of the race, but back of
them all stands alcohol as the chief
degenerative factor. Statistics compil-
ed by the leading insurance companies
and presented by Sir T. P. Whitaker
in report to the British parliament
show that of every Loo deaths
among the population at large 40 are
. due TO alcohol This would mean a
mortality from alcohol in the United
States of 6s0,O00 a year.
The great burden of drink is not
borne by the drinker. but by the
drinkers 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 pat
tern of the perfected organism.
Should such poison as alcohol les
sen the nutrition of the cell or i'm
pair the quality OF the protoplasmic
material and deface the pattern.
these shortcomings and defects will
be manifested in the subsequent
stages of development. a defective
germ cell cannot evolve a normal
body: this is the reason that We
find a larger percentage OF func-
tional and organic diseases among
the children of drinking parents.
Suffer From Disease.
In our studies among school child
rem i'll New York city we find that
s. per cent are the children of drink
ing parents. and that 81 per cent or
these children OF drinking parents
suffer from some functional or or
canic disease. In one institution for
the treatment OF physical detectives
a recent study shows tha. every pa
tient is the child of drinking parents.
\ study of two groups of families
will clearly show the dltterenCe pc
tween the children of the drlnker
and the children of the abstainer
Ten families of regular drinkers
show the following:
Total number of children, -.
Thirty died in infancy.
had heart disease.
| insane. uhocciie'
! CpileptIc. -
I anaemIc.
:; very poor teeth, tuoercular'
/ diabetiC. no, , iiIhI.
stood as follows:
Two w,,r,. excellent. o fair, and Il
deficient. ,-.
show the following:
Total number OF children. -.
died in infancy, l neurotlc,
/ anaemiC, rheuiid''T'
iIiharcrIIar. 81 normal.
IN their studies these children
stood as follows:
Fifty-six were excellent, 10 fair and
deficient.
bf the abstainers, 90 per cent were
normal In mind and body. as against
Der cent OF drinkers children. y
Comparison of these two groups OF
families. living under the same con-
diIions and in the same environment.
shows that alcohol actually injured
or DESTROYED So per cent OF the Chi,-
dren. Nincty-seven per cent uf the
children of total abstsiners were pro-
ficicnt in their studies. as against
s. per cent with drinking parents.
tVsre the Transmitted marks OF
alcoholic deEeneracy limited To one
generation, could improved SANTA
ton and medication correct and re-
move disordered nerve centers, Dad
hsEAlity YSUld receive partial COM