The Prescott daily news., 1915-05-20
1coHOL IN THE EUROPEAN
 ARMIES.

r,. European War, subjecting mil m # men to the irregularities and
 ,vn ,snosures of life in field and camp, ,,s naturally revived interest in and
 huisbed m new material for the dis
 mssion of many old problems. Among
 h,,o nroblems is that connected with
 ,.obol bv the soldiers. The time has
 ,.ssod when alcohol liquors are to be
 ,scarded as inseparable from warfare
 .,d essential for military activities.
 rHcencv is now the prime consider
 ,ton Since the last great war,
 .,orti6c research has greatly increas-
 sd our knowledge of the effects of al
 ,obo on the human body. While the
 physiologist has not yet spoken the
 last word on this subject, the over
 Vhelming preponderance of scientific. evidence is in favor of the proposition
 that the use of alcohol, in any amounts large or small, tends to inn
 mjr muscular coordination, to dull the special senses, to retard muscular and
 nervous reactions and mental process
 ses and to reduce efficiency in any
 work requiring rapid and accurate
 mental or physical effort. The ques-
 ton still open to discussion is wheth-
 CT in times of unusual exposure, strain and eXertion, the temporarily stimulating effects of alcohol are sui fciently valuable to compensate for its undesirable results. Evidently the military authorities of Europe think so or are still influenced by custom or tradition, since in each army the regu-
 atiOn ration of alcohol is still provid-
 ed In the English Army, 21a ounces or rum are issued to each man twice a week. For men in the trenches. this allowance is increased to 8 ounces twice week under ordinary weather conditions and to 213 ounces daily in very bad weather, making a minimum of ounces a week and maximum c TIE ounces. The regular ration Ol 2i2 ounces is estimated to contain
 zoo grams of alcohol. The French soldier receives daily 90 grams of rum containing 20 grams of alcohol. The defIdan soldier is allowed 1,793 grams VI peer and 20 grams of brandy a day. lae beer, which is of the ordinary Agef variety, has a low alcohol con- en' Of only about 3.5 per cent, but aS quantity would amount to a total VI 'V'1 grams of actual alcohol a day. austrian soldiers receive each day 0.5 ''@r ol wlne, equivalent to 40 grams VI alcohol. The physiologic effects of sNVnoi on military efficiency would nOOaOly not be so cleary apparent in Is army as in the navy. The modern 'a'ueshlp, crusier and submarine have '''Oile marvels of mechanical com p'Ni'y and delicacy. The soldier in "s trenches might take the maximum s','nan ration of 70 grams of alcohol h.S s %lthout impairing his ability to apuie hls rifle or manipulate mach a gun Whether the members of ,l. a'iauon corps, the artillerymen m aseu tl With handling the heavy guns, ,.a, ~e signal men, on whose quickness ns,l 's o1 vision much might de- ,;sna 'Ouid maintain the highest effi- ,sn! sa.s on a daily allowance of alcohol bs le s to be proved. There is, in Am, vpnion of The Journal of the dant aa .a. Medical Association, abun- e,ns.' s testimony on the part of naval i,hs. S Z, to show that alcohol dimin- On As e accuracy of the gun pointer Dpmhs. e 0attleship and so reduces the coO,.s,o ol probable hits. "Dutch as se ' mas heretofore been regarded sa,a.. a indispensable equipment of on ss .l ana Id alcohol has been looked of tba se s, ally rather than the enemy War vii, ,n,sn'lng man; but the present eivili,ea reverse the opinions of the tons, a,s @orid on a good many ques- pensab;rtt,. u IS possible that the indis- De one 4lty as ., 0f alcohol in the army may