The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-07

be ready, not only to attack independently the
same objective, hut to work in more active CO.
operation When the prohlhtionists of Maine
In continuation of their haH-century struggle
against the liquor interests struggle act uated
largely by moral rather than economic consid-
erntions-eppcsled In a recent election to August
Forel tho Swss biologist. for scientific informa-
ton to the consequences of alcohol, they took
an active step towards the formation of such n
Necessary alliance Only by the organization of
all forces working against the menace OF liquor
can ultimate success be gained.
Miss Katharine Anthony. OF New York City
who hes made active study OF the alcohol
problem, recently returned 10 this country from
visit to Professor Forel, in Switzerland during
which she had the opportunity Of studying under
his direction the progress OF the anti-alcohol
movement in Europe. The information she gath
cred on this subject she has placed at our dis
posai and from 1t the facts in this editorial are
taken.
Not only in the emphasis placed upon scientific
research. but in another particular the Euro
pean temperance movement differs from that
in America In this country 1t has received its
strongest impetus and its greatest encourage
ment from women. In Europe il is a mans
movement.
The alcohol fighters Of Europe are biologists
psychologists, criminoIoeists sociologists eco
nomsts jursts and all the other scientific lists
in the catalogue. Their accusations are CORE
spondingiy multifarious. But they may all be re-
duced to one essential fact. Alcohol is not a
stimulant but narcotic Alcohol paralYses.
1t is the letha1 dose the fools paradise the cow
ards JOY.
The man who first demonstrated this is and
has been for twenty years, the ranking psycholo-
sst OF Europe. Emil kraepen Professor of
l'sNchiatry in the University of Munich, and
international authority on fatigue toxins exposed
a common fallaCY. People had always believed
that alcohol taken in moderate doses stimulated
mental activity. and that only excessive doses
he'd narcotic influence. Thus alcohol sup
posed to reverse its own action, Just as water
does under falling temperature. first contract
ing until the freezing point Is reached. and then
expanding
Bat kreepehn's experiments. published in
iS92 exposed alcohol a consistent ready-to-
work narcotic. i puts the brakes Mt once.
lie found that the individuals ability 70 add TO
memorize, and TO Judge began to decline under
the Influence OF only forty TO eighty grains of
alcohol. A group of Heidelberg students were
set to adding half an hour day for four weeks
The fass and third weeks they received no aico-
hol; the second and fourth weells they worked
under the influence OF the moderate dose. They
canned speed the first week lost 1t the second
Notwithstanding seven days practice), regained
IT the third and refosr IT the fourth The his
tory of the four weeks experiment set
down in the form OF what scientists call a
curve, but which looks like the letter M
To interpret 1t you need Only 10 note Enter
aicohof at the beginning OF each downward
stroke
Judgment under the influence of alcohol Now
memory and Judgment higher powers Of
the mind, inasmuch as they depend upon the
association Of ideas The brain makes connec-
tons as 6'cs the operator in the telephone ex-
change. When alcohol is present the operator
In the brain doves and makes faulty connections,
" she does NOT 60 to sleep altogether. Memory
haltS. and the judgment is untrustworthy as long
as alcohol paralyzes the switchboard.
Here news for scholars and men OF let.
serS, including the aXneY}msOte~ himself VIII
had started in with preconceived ideas.
kracpiin says that the frat time he was ever
drunk was on the day of the celebration OF the
victory OF Sedan. He the first convert TO
his own experiments and is now one OF the mos
militant miik-drinkers Of Europe.
Another European of the temper Is
Lieutenant Boy. Of Sweden. who made a study
OF the effect of alcohol on his soldiers He tried
them on accurate firing quick firing and en-
durance firing without alcoho, and after forty
gram dose. Then he made map of the re-
cords and circulated II throughout Europe. Ger.
tsinly for the soldier II Is invitation to alco-
hol. for ii shows lowered efficiency in shoot
.ng each time the moderate dose was taken.
1t remained sor two Swiss doctors 10 make the
alcohol question a paternity problem Dr. Won
Bunse OF the Basel University. says that alcohol
is parayzer of mothers milk and that the
daughters OF drunkaras tend to go dry As a
physiological chemist Bunge made a special
study OF the milk of mamma is. and OF human
milk in particular. He collected the histories OF
$500 mothers both nursing and unable nurse
and after years of careful study concluded that
these dry-breasted women owed their failure
&C mothers ia their alcoholic fathers
Another Swiss doctor, Dr. Bexzoia, about
rudely polling into the paternity records of his
fellow citizens He used the birth statistics for
tire entire Swiss population between $50 and
1880. From the registered birthday OF each
person born ne subtrac'ed nine months in order
10 secure the date OF conception, During this
decade $50 idiots were born. His object was
to compare the conception days OF the idiots
With those Of the rest OF the population. The
normal maximum for the whole people was