The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-02-14
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
DOCTORS AND ALCOHOL.

Half century ago alcohol was al
most universally regarded as an in
dispensable drug-the great standby
In almost every ailment, says l.. Rem
tout. Scientific investigation has now
proved that the few medical fan
at1cs" who described alcohol as "a
dangerous narcotic poison" were pio-
neers in reform, and teachers of a great
scientific truth. With the upright
ness OF purpose and unselfishness of
character which have ever marked
the medical profession, doctors frank
ly admitted their error, and in spite
often of loss of money and loss of
popularity, very many of them are
doing their utmost today to enIighten
the world as to the evil effects of al
cohol on the human race
In 1889 the first Medical DecIara-
ton was drawn up and signed by sew
enty-n1ne doctors who denounced as
altogether erroneous, the belief that
the hab1tual use of some portion of
alcoholic drink was beneficial to
health. In 1847 a second great Dec
laration was signed by 1000 medical
men stating that "The most perfect
health is compatible with total alb
stlnence from all intoxicating bever-
ages" This was practically revoIu-
tlonary teaching. In 1871 a third
Declaration (signed by 261 doctors)
was issued stating that Total alb
sta1ners, other conditions being sim
liar, have, on the average, less sick
ness, and recover more quickly than
non-aDsta1ners, especially from infec-
t1ous diseases, whilst they altogether
escape diseases specially caused by
alcohol"
In July, 1904, memorial signed bv
1918 doctors and surgeons was pre-
sented to the Government by the
British Medical Association urging
that teaching on the evils of alcohol
be given in all schools In January,
1912, fifty doctors in Birmingham
signed a declaration condemning the
use of alcohol, even in small quanti-
ties, as one of the greatest evils of
the day, and in 1913 similar mani
festo has been issued by 100 Midland
doctors who desire to remove the mis-
leading belief that alcohol is useful
either as food or drug. Thus has
the medical profession Ito it's own
financial loss) taken up arms against
what Sir Andrew Clarke so aptly
named THE enemy of the race"
AS to individual testimony, here
are the words of Sir Benjamin Ward
Richardson, spoken in Exeter Hall.
February 7th, 1878: Il had once no
thought Of alcohol except as a food.
thought it warmed us, I thought it
gave additional strength l thought
1t enabled us to endure mental and
bodily fatigue. / thought it cheered
the heart and lifted the mind-and so
L took alcohol from the shelf of my
laboratory as I might take any other
drug or chemical body there" Elk
aiming it dispassionately and with all
these beliefs in his mind, he thus
sums up the result of his investigation
undertaken for the British Associa-
ton: II find it is an agent that gives
no strength, that reduces the tone of
the blood vessels and heart, that re-
duces the nervous power, and builds
up no tissues, and can be of no use
to man or any other animal as a sub
stance for food. On that side of the
question my mind is made up-that
this agent, in the most moderate GUAM
t1ty, is perfectly useless for any of
the conditions of life" Again he de-
scribes alcohol as being las potent for
evil as it is helpless for good" and,
not ashamed to confess past errors,
he says: Il look back with horror to
my former belief that ought to give
alcohol in the collapse of cholera to
bring back the animal temperature"
Sir William Gull, physician to Queen
Victoria, said before the House of
Lords Commission: alcohol is the
most destructive agent we are aware
of. 1t degenerates the tissues, spoils
the health, and spoils the intellect.
1t is most deleterious poison, and a
large number of people are dying day
by day, poisoned by alcohol, but not
supposed to be poisoned by it,"
Sir Frederick Treves, F. r. G.. s.,
surgeon to King Edward VII, said Of
alcohol: 1T is, of course, distinctly a
poison, one which, like other poisons
such as opium, arsenic, and strych-
nine, has certain uses. The limitation
of the use of alcohol, however, should
be as strict as the limitation of the
use Of any other kind of poison" And
he also said: Il was with the relief
column that moved on to Ladysmith.
The first who dropped out Of that COL
umn of 10000 men were not the tail
or the short, the thin or the fat men,
but those who drank, and they came
out as clearly as if they had been
labelled"
To Ulster people it must be a mat
ter for pride that Belfast man, DR..
A. H. H. MMurtry, was foremost
among the early pioneers in this great
reform in the medical profession. His
life-teaching on the subject is en-
bodied in the words: "The action of
alcohol is antagonistic to the healthy
| functions and structure of the body.
Alcohol is always unnecessary, always
| nco1acc oil ond o1u