Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-28
Editors Letter Box
Notes at the Bier Of the Beer Question

Editor kennebec Journal:
Inc editor Of small local paper,
VINO lately returned from the West.
"here he says it was his good fortune
70 receive courtesies from a great
brewery company. lately came out
with a four column article on the
.healthfulness and the economical
question of beer. The whole of his
article is of the same tenor as we all
are familiar with as coming from that
Tx. We have heard it time and time
again. The only thing in the whole
article that we care for is this state
ment: The drinking of whskey. rum
gin. and brandy, is an entirely diff
lerent proposition than the drinking Of
a pure scientifically brewed beer. The
booze means a breaking down of the
tissues, weakening Of all mental and
physical faculties, and if INDUCED in to
excess the results. to say the least
are terrible. BY the way. pure lager
beer contains from three to five per
cent. of alcohol. A beverage that does
not intoxicate. and whose harmful eff
fects if any, must be largely counter
acted by the beneficial effects or the
German nation could never have ad-
vanced to the high standard that it
occupies, mentally and physically, to-
day. for all Germans are beerdrinkers,
at least, so nearly ali that the eXcep-
ton proves the rule"
Now here is a man who speaks with
authority, for have not the brewers
tnt.
fects of alcohol on the human system.
surely this man can speak witt, au-
thority. for did he not manage q
patent medicine enterprise success
Tilly few years ago? But here are
some very prominent physicians who
seem 70 disagree with our country edi-
tor: but | suppose that is All the
worse for the doctors. Toledo Ohio,
mas five Of the largest breweries i'll the
country; it has 4 large German popu-
lation it is said that more beer is
the same population. Here is the
testimony OF some OF the leading
physicians there. DR.. S. H. Bergen af-
ter So years practice:
Il think beer kills quicker than any
other liquor. My attention was first
called to its insidious effects when |
began examining for life insurance.
On comparing my experience with 9TH
er physician | found they were all
having similar luck. The beer drinker
is worse off than the whiskey drinker.
Good management will bring him
around all right. But when beer
n ri,,ly .
most as if you have to recreate the
man all over before you can do any
thing for him. Seer drinkers are abb
solutely the most dangerous class of
subjects a surgeon can operate ON. All
surgeons hesitate to operate on beer
drinker in cases which they would
undertake with the greatest confidence
on any one else
DR.. S. S. Lungren after % years
practice in Toledo says: 1t is difficult
to find any part of the confirmed beer
work as it should. This is why their
life cords snap of like glass rods when
disease or accident gives them a little
blow. Physicians and insurance COM
panieS accept this as unquestionably
as any other Endisputed fact Of
science. The life insurance companies
expect man otherwise healthy, who
is addicted to beer. will have his life
shortened from 40 to 60 per cent.
There is no question in my mind that
many brain diseases and insanity
cases are caused by beer drinking"
DR.. c. \. Kirkley: sickness is al
oil in 6rir, nd
serious accidents are usually fatal 10
them. UNDER IT'S INFLUENCE
THE MENTAL POWERS are more in
active than the physical. THERE is
HARDLY 4 single cause that oper-
ates more powerfully in the produc-
ton of insanity: and not only that, bu,
it excites the action of other causes
that may he present
Another prominent Toledo physician,
DR.. w. +. Ridenour testified: Beer
drinkers are peculiarly liable to die of
pneumonia their vital power. their
power of resistance is so lowered that
they are liable to drop off from any
form of acute disease, such as feVerS.
pneumonia, etc. | have no doubt that
the rapid spread of Bright's disease is
largely due to beer drinking. l have
always believed that Bayard Taylor
fell q victim to the German beer that
he praised SO highly. He died of
Bright'S disease at the age of 80, when
he should have lived. with his consti
tuition, to a ripe old age. He Went
just as beer drinkers are going all the
time and everywhere"
The German doctor. Bergen, closes
his testimony with this emphatic
statement: Il have told you the frozen
truth-cold, calm, scientific facts. Such
as the profession recognizes every
where as absolute truths. ! do not re-
gard beer drinking as safe for any one.
There is only one safe course, ard that
is to let it entirely alone.
That eminent German. Colonel Maus,
department surgeon. medical depart
ment corps, L. S. Army, lately made
the following statement. Many who
tenounce ardent SPIRITS. consider
beer u wholesome and sustaining food.
Beer drinkers are especially liable TO
fatty and enlarged heart, diseases of
the liver and kidneys complicated with
dropsy, govt and rheumatism. AS a
sequel of beer drinking we find an in
fected and loaded circulation, and
diminished vitality (which invites dis
ease and death. The mortality OF