The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-02-05

case, nor must you suppose that al
cohol is The only dcgenerating force
that enters into the lives of the
children Of drunkards. II is fire.
quenlly only one of many, but il
does have lis effects. The follow
ing examples speak for themselves.
One American physician observed
600 children who were born of 100
drunken mothers and discovered
that 3i5 of The children died in in
fancy. These drunken mothers
took away from their babies fight
ing chance for life and health before
They were born. Another physician
examined 2O,ii9 children for the
New York Academy of Medicine.
6,62i Of these children had drinking
parents. 50 per cent Of these chill
Cbrcn were billiards. 1883 Of the
number had temperate parents and
only ten per cent were billiards.
In another case 3,7li children
were examined and fl per cent
their ancestors back to the third
generation was looked into. They
were divided into two groups
those with temperate ancestors and
those with Incorporate ancestors.
or all children with temperate an
ccsl0rs 96 per cent were bright and
efficient, only 1 per cent were dull
lards. Only ~ per cent developed
some form of neurosis. On the 9TH
or hand, Of all those with intemper-
ate ancestors only % per cent were
bright and proficient, while II per
cent were billiards, 76 per cent of
these developed some form of ner-
vous trouble.
In another instance 2i9 children
were examined and III per cent.
were found to be epileptic. All had
alcoholic parents. When we re-
member that less than one-half per
cent Of children born to normal
parents are epileptic we wonder
what causes this increase in the
children Of alcoholics.
Another examination was made of
2i5 drunkards and insanity, epilep-
sy, and nervous disorders were
found to be quite common in their
descendants. Not long ago it was
discovered that 61.2 per cent. of the
pupils in the reform schools of Ber-
lin had alcoholic parents. A French
doctor examined the records of 2,55i
children and found that II per cent
Of them had drinking parents.
Another doctor examined $50 feeble
minded children and found that al
coholism existed in the parents of
i0i.
Three great authorities estimate
the number of normal children that
are born to drunken parents. One
says that only us per cent of such
children are normal; another says
that only il.6 are normal, while the
third insists that only Ga per cent.
are normal. Anyone of these esti-
mates is quite low enough to make
the young man who would drink
think many times before he damns
his children to lifelong sickness or
imbecility.
Another doctor examined a large
number of children for tuberculosis.
He found that only i.S per cent. of
the children Of temperate parents
were affected, but discovered that
10 per cent. of those who came of
drinking families We're in the in
cipicnt stages of the disease.
High authorities estimate that 50
per cent of insanity is caused by
the use of alcohol. We know that
insanity and suicides are most fire.
quent where liquors are used most
freely.
Prof. Demme of Berne observed
over long period of years 10 fami-
lies that drank heavily and 10 other
families who were abstainers. He
observed that 81 children were born
TO the Incorporate families and that
81 children were born to the tenn
perate. He noticed that of the 81
children born to the temperate par
ents, 81 were normal, only two were
deformed, none were idiOtic, none
were epileptic, only 3 died in infan-
cy. OF the 81 born to the drinking
parents he discovered that only 10
were normal, 10 were badly deform-
ed, 6 were idiotic, 6 were epileptic
and rs died in infancy.
Now no young man or young wo-
man ought TO read this without do
ing some thinking. The young man
who drinks has before him the ter
rible possibility of blighled babies
when he becomes father. Every
young woman who marries a man
who drinks and allows him to be-
come the father of her children
runs the risk Of having an epileptic
child To care for thru all her days, |
90, "a, tIsnIsa ah;lI 10 alnn., ha,, a.,