Newell reclamation news. [volume] (Newell, Butte County, S.D.) 1910-19??, 1916-01-27
EFfEeT OF ALCOHOL
VERY DETRIMENTAL
Physical and Mental DGiefiOra-
ton Determined by humeF-
GUS Experiments.

The effect OF the consumption of al
coholic beverages upon physical and
mental efficiency has been absolutely
determined by numerous experiments
in Eur pc and America. Indeed the
Heidel srg experiments were the
foundat On for the anti-saloon move.
ment il. Europe, and widening ac-
quainta &c with the scientifically de-
termined facts has influenced the at
titude of the railroads ana 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 walking
contest Was conducted over a course
of sixty.two miles. Eighty-one men
entered The contest, OF whom only
twenty-fcur were abstalners, but the
first fous 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 mona stainers fell out by the way,
but only two of the twenty-four alb
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,
q 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
~ the bodily energy put forth, the
amount of muscle work done, and the
! length OF time required, On certain
) days he took alcoholic drink equva-
lent to two glasses of beer, and found
f that, while his instruments showed
that he expended Is per cent more
energy than on the days Of abstinence,
4 he took 2l.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 abstaining, while during the
second series of tests they were allow
cd two-thirds of a wine glass of bran
dy q 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
Typesettins and Typewritirs: Four
typesetters in printing Office in
Heidelberg, Germany, were tested in /
their work to find out if alcohol help
ed or hindered them. The trials were
carried on for an hour a day for four
successive days The first and third
days no alcohol was taken; ON the
second ard fourth days the work was
done after drinking about three-quar-
tiers of tnmbler of Greek wine us
per cent acoho).
Alcohol used in these amounts to
which thu men were accustomed de-
creased the amount of work done
al d -. tel
means t. { If the same loss held for
whole Jays work, If a man were
capable o earning SIS a week when
not drinking he would earn only s13.65
Il he DIRE as much alcohol daily as
would be obtained in quart of beer.
T'hss sgre.fing test showed that
ahs alaca skilled woTssss done was
1 IN sn8@h hy aigchol In test by
~ pew rstiu II was found that alcohol
fnex e&sea eiae nau Der III errors from
IA Der cent to ~ psr cent, although
fasigsa o1lT inersasad me average OF
9srTpss AZ pAr cent
ksmory a-sd sclaclarship: Profess
sos vogt of 1ha University Of Chris
tfnnsr made tests upon himself to de.
tesuine the effects OF alcohol upon
- s<x==s= He daily committed to mem
org twenty-five lines OF Greek ss1.t.s.sy; !, !,
md recorded the number of minutes
nogusred 10 learn them. On the days
when be took as much alcohol as one
Would get IN from one and one-half to
1krpe glasseT Or beer it took him on
he arerzgc 18 per cent longer to learn
- lfnes than when no alcohol was