The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-11
Scientific Truths to Be Taught
An Address Delivered Before the Industrial and
Scientific Institutes During the Round Table Dis
cussons of the National Anti Saloon League
Convention At Indianapolis.

anu iSailStS WHICH InGN cause 10 Dt
prepared by well-known authors al
in way to deceive sometimes the
very elect. And these fallacies popu-
larly held constitute certain funda-
mental points for our attack upon
ignorance and misinformation.
What have we for truth with which
to meet these beliefs
While there are many details OF
the physi illogical action of alconol
which are not yet fully worked out
the general case against alcohol ~s
are justified in saying has beer,
pl owed.
A multitude of experiments have
demonstrated that alcohol Is not q
stimulant but depressant; that many
are in reality only the result OF TAX
ing off the nervous brakes so that
there Is more activity for time. but
less control. II any further evidence
was needed on this point. we now
have 1t in the experiments reported
within the past year by Benedict and
Dodge. of the Carnegie institution OF
Washington. The same experiment
ers, while careful not to generaIize
over-far. concluded that results such
as those occurring in these export
ments which were performed with all
the aide Of the best modern tech
nique arc, to use their own words,
Clear Indications of decreased or
sanc efficiency as a result OF moder-
ate doses OF alcohol"
We have at hand the facts show
ing that in general alcohol tends 10
impair mental efficiency. Ditferene
experiments show varying degrees OF
impairment according TO the kind OF
work done and the methods en-
ployed but the general trend Of re-
suits Ia dsoid eddy unfavorable to al
cohol.
It is we'll demonstrated that aIco-
hol decreases resistance to infect oue
diseases We know that II unques-
tlonably causes or contributes to GER
tain degenerattve diseases. Exactly
cases know. In general, l should say
that tho present trend Of medical
opinion as to the disease-causing pos
sibilftfes of alcohol is that 1t I'M
doubtedly causes q certain proper
ton of diseases like gastric inflam
nation. Eyer cirrhosis, hardening Of
the arteries, neuritis There is an
increasing tendency to find In syph-
Ills the origin of many OF these cases
formerly thought to be of alcoholic
origin. But here alcohol may enter
as an important first cause as sc
many victims OF syphilis are known
TO contract the disease when und er
the Influence Of alcohol which had
put them off their guard. We shall
lose nothing in our teaching about
the relation of alcohol to disease II
we recognize that in many cases
there Is probably this sequence OF
% alcohol, ca syphilis, go organic
disease
Within the past three or -four
years there has been a most inter
esting DEVELOPMENT Of knowleda@ -
physical disorders resulting from
hitherto undiscovered sources OF ina
lection The X-ray has revealed
teeth with pus sacs. infected cavities
OF the face, head. throat and other
parts of the body which. when
cleared UP have caused the disan-
pearance of symptoms formerly IN
terpreted as diseases of the parts in
which the symptoms appeared. The
interesting suggestion Ia made that
perhaps we shall eventually find thav
much of the heart. kidney and other
organic diseases il the result OF n-
lection from the internal source
should this prove to be true. It will
not at all impair our case against al
cohol IT will simply change the point
OF attack. Instead OF charging alco-
hol with directly causing such dis
eases its relation would be that OF
ihs tUolSthiICS TO inIeCLlOn, since
this whole question Of organic dis
eases, their causes and prevention is
undergoing serious consideration at
the hands of the medical profession.
so that even the teachings of some
thoroughly standard medical text
books are being questioned at this
point, we should not be too dogmatio
in our teaching as to details OF the
way that alcohol contributes to these
diseases. We are on sure ground,
however, in maintaining that what
ever may be the method of its opera
ton, II IL an important factor in these
diseases which today are rsgarde as
among the more serious Of our present
health problems. especially In middle
life.
We have also today tho accunu-
lated and accommodating evidence of
life insurance com panies in this and
other countries that abstainers have
from 10 to 80 per cent lower NOR
tally than non-a bstainers; that they
more speedily recover, show n greater
proportion of recoveries from major
operations and serious Illnesses: that
former heavy drinkers or drinkers
who had taken a cure for alcoholism
and were temperate when insured
have a mortality between 80 and 40
per cent In excess of the normal. In
short, we are justified in teaching