The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-02

cocaine, morphine, opium, daggers, gambling
machines and numerous other inanirnate OBJ
jeets that are used in eva ways 1t is the effect
and not the innocent nature of whskey that
the prohibitionists fighting He went to
add that their moderate and 1udicious use is
beneficial" and explained himself by declaI Ine;
, that man in general needed and craved a
stimulant" Now, If Dr. Mcguire had thought
for a long time he could hardly have made a
more insidiously harmful and false statement.
1t is completely denied by modern investigation.
II is one Of the well established facts in medicine
that the tissues of the liver kidneys and other
organs vitality injured and various diseases
invited by the continuous. although moderate.
use of intoxicants 1t has been proven time and
again that mental activity and the general
capacity Of a man for work Is markedly de-
creased by alcoholic beverages
His statement that imam in general needs a
st!mulant is misleading the other part of
his assertion. One of the fundamental truths
of nature is that an artificial stimulant is always
followed by period of reaction during which
there is depression. The normal man needs no
s3.ch stimulation. The only time when slim
ulant Is justified is when it is needed to bridge
over a period of weakness until the body has.
through the aid of nature, been able to over
come the trouble I wonder If Or. Mcclure ad-
vises the ladies' too to take thelr eye openers"
or is It the men alone whose fral body needs a
prop?
Even # stimulants were necessary, whisley
would not answer the purpose for the simple
orally recognized that Il is really a depressant
1t dllates the external blood vessels, causing a
feeling Of warmth benumbs certain eenters in
the brain SO that the partially loses con-
troll Of his mental machinery and he imagines
That ne is in splendid condition while in reality
his vitality IS decidedly decreased. The modern
physician who does not realize that in strych-
uIue, digitaIis and other such drugs we have
real stimulants, and Who does not them in
stead Of whiskey. certainly needs further
course IN materia medca- lie may lose some
topcrs from his list OF patients hat he win have
the great satisfaction Of realizing that he is prac-
ticing scientific medicine instead of deception.
Dr, Mcguire goes on to say that If we deny
the people whiskey they Will cocaine and
such drugs SO lis plan is to fight one evil
force with another, Ell? a second brilliant idea
Of his You commend as having once been
true the statement Of the elder physician DR..
Hunter Mcclure, that, 1T is my opinion that
If all Intoxicating liquors We're poured into
the sea it would be better for mankind, but
you say that 1t is not now true because Of the
danger Of substitution OF various harmful drugs
DO you feel quite sure that II is not rather
because at present II would deprive all mod
crate users of their morning dram? You and
pr Mcclure both seem 10 lose sight of the
fact that these drugs already outawed
except when dispensed upon a physicians pre-
scription, and if II be true that they are stl
easily procured, 1t Is tho fault Of the law not
being enforced. II the sale Of whskey can
be abolished, and l believe that It will be by
state and national laws then 1t should he COM
paratIvely easy to control the sale of these
drugs which not we'll known and can not
be manufactured everywhere, is tho case
with whiskev.
The Observation-Disclosures are hard pressed for
arguments when they-ara- forced 70 resort TO
n i>stGtonents of facts Of natures laws IN their
desperate ana fast failing fight for rum.
y on highly praise what you call Dir McCuire's
bravery In speaking as he did hut do you deny
the fact that it requires far less courage to
condone well established. though evil custom,
than to come out squarely against II and fight
it to q finish as that newspaper, tho Richmond
Vlrgtn!afl IS now doing?
CARL b. EPPs. NJ. D.
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