Newell reclamation news. [volume] (Newell, Butte County, S.D.) 1910-19??, 1916-02-10
EFFECT OF ALCOHOL
VERY Detrimental AL
PHYSICAL and Mental DeteriOra-
tion Determined by kumeT-
Gus Experiments.

The effect OF the consumption OF al
coholie beverages upon physical and
mental efficiency has been absolutely
determined by numerous experiments
in Europe and America. Indeed tho
Heidelberg experiments were the
foundation for the anti-ssloon move
ment in Europe, and widening &C
quaintance with the scientifically de-
termined facts has Influenced the at
titude of the railroads and industrial
corporations In America, and, indeed.
may properly be said to have affect
ed the progress of the prohibition
movement.
Some of the most famous OF these
European experiments are given be-
low
Walking: In Germany a walking
contest was conducted over course
of sixty-two miles. Eighty-one men
entered the contest, of whom only
twenty-four were abstainers, but the
first four men who crossed the line
were abstainers. OF the ten prize
winners six were teetotalers and two
had been abstainers for some time
while in training. More than half of
the ponabstainers fell out by the way,
but only two OF the twenty-four abb
stainers
Endurance: During a campaign the
late Field Marshal Wolseley tested the
effect of alcohol upon endurance. TO
some, of the troops alcohol was given, |
to others none. The abstaining troops |
showed. decidedly better endurance, |!
better marching powers, were fresher |
and more alert.
Mountain Climbing: Professor Durig, |
famous mountain climber, conduct |
ed experiments upon himself, climb |
ing In each case 5000 feet to the top |
of Mount Bilkencrat in the Alps. He
recorded the height climbed. his per-
sonal weight and that of his pack, and |
carried instruments to measure exact
ly the bodily energy put. forth, the
amount of muscle work done. and the
length OF time required. On certain
days he took alcoholic drink eQuiva-
lent to- two glasses of beer, and found
that, while his instruments showed
that he expended Is per cent more
energy than on the days Of abstinence,
he took 21.7 per cent longer to reach |
the top Of the mountain.
Workmanship: In Sweden three
corporals and three privates were
used In test to determine the effect
of alcohol upon precision. During the
DAYS Of the first test the men were
entirely sustaining, while during the
second series of tests they were allow
ed two-thirds of wine glass Of bran
dy I short time before the firing and
an equal amount of alcohol In punch
on the evening before. In the quick |
firing tests, on the alcohol days. they
hit the target on the average only
three times out of thirty shots, but
on the abstinent days the average
was twenty three and twenty-six hits. |
The men were found to be similarly
affected by alcohol during tests for
endurance OF sustained firing.
Typssetting and Typewrtins: -Four
typesetters In printing Office In !!
Heidelberg, Germany, were tested in
their work to fnd out If alcohol help |
ed or hindered them. The trials were
carried on for an hour = day for four |
successive days. The first and third |
days no alcohol was taken; on the |
second and fourth days the work was
doDa after drinking about three-quar
tiers OF . tumbler OF Greek wine us
per cent alcohol.
Alcohol used In these amounts to /
which the men were accustomed de-
creased the amount of work done
about 9 per cent on the average. This
means that II the same loss held for /
whole days work, II man were
capable Of earning SIS week when
not drinking. he would earn only 1885
II he drank as much alcohol daily a.
would be contained in . quart OF beer.
This typesetting test showed that
the amount OF skilled work done was
diminished by alcohol. In . test by
typewriting 1t was found that alcohol
increased the number Of errors from
"A per cant to 81 per cent, although
fatigue only increased the average Of
errors by ? per cent
Memory and Scholarship: Profess
cor Y0Gt Of the University of Chris
tiania made tests upon himself to de-
termine the effects Of alcohol upon
memory. He daily committed to mem
Org twenty-five lines Of Greek poetry
ara recorded the number of minutes
required to learn them. On the days |
when be took ~ much alcohol a. one |
would st IN from one and one-half to |
fhr6o glassee OF beer It took him on |
he avorags Is per cent longer to learn |
the llnes than whom no alcohol was |
* 49, Usw rna<<s<h~ later vyhas. ba 10 /