The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-19

as mild hypnotic nor because 1t had
proved fatal In the hands of physi-
clans. but because an alcohol habit
had been developed in some Of the
population. If one considers the few
sporadic cases in which cocaine or
sulphonal, for example, has given
rte to habit, and the discredit into
which they have fallen in conse-
quence, and compares the cases of
disaster from alcohol met with every
day, we can not but feel that these
drugs have been weighed in very un-
equal scales, and that any one who
discards cocaine, undoubtedly drug
Of great value, must, to be consist
ent. condemn the use of alcohol, the
value of which is so much less surely
determined. This seems to me to be
the ground on which we must take
our stand. Alcohol is a drug which
may be useful in therapeutics; al
though think it can hardly be con-
sidered indispensable, but it has so
often given rise to habit that its use
must be curtailed to the utmost
limit"
/ Professor Kassowitz, of the Uni
versity of Wanna, says: Abstinence,
especially of physicians, is now prac-
tically the most important factor in
the alcohol problem.
The Medican Temperance depart
ment of the Nationel Womans Chris
tion Temperance Union has for years
been bringing to the attention of
women the teachings of physicians
who do not believe alcoholic liquors
to be necessary as medicine. Tens Of
thousands of men and women now
know that Sir Victor Horsley has
said, 1.-THE value of alcohol as . med
icine is, in my opinion, unqualifiedly
nil;" that Sir A. Pearce Gould Of the
Middlesex Hospital, London, has
said: 81 think that of all the bad
useo to which alcohol is often put as
therapeutic agent none is worse
than its employment in any form of
| infective disease. | think alco-
hol is of no use in shock in helping
to tide over an acute emergency"
that Professor Sims Wlcdhead, OF
| Cambridge University, has said: 1T
10 now admitted that alcohol Is NOT
stimulanf but narcotic, a dead
ener of sensation. and a depressant
of Junction." that London Hospital
has said; THE idea so firmly fixed
In the public mind that alcoholic
liquors give strength must no longer
be entertained for a moment. 1t Ger
tainly does not give muscular forct
or nervous energy" that DR.. Franz
Billings, of Chicago, has said: "Th'
belief in alcohol as a stimulant II
rapidly passing away" and that lDr
Harvey w. Wiley has said, Both a
means of preventing disease an
as remedy this agent (alcoholD
rapidly falling into disrepute, 8
! that it bids fair to become merely
: memory in our materia medica an
, 7 the Pharmapueia. These, and man
! other unfavorable opinions Of alcohf
7 from good authorities are bein
5 widely disseminated, and the PHYS
! clan who fails to keep pace with tn
! advance of public sentiment agains
a alcohol may find before long that b
d is hurting both himself and the nj
e BILE profession of medicine. | sa
r these plain plain words as a frien
: of the medical profession. | do M
: want the people to lose confidence
k their medical advisers, and ! ha'
I devoted much labor, time and none
n to the exposure of quacks and to II
:, wiles of fraudulent medical col
n Germs. But l do desire to see II
y medical profession completely d
e vorced from the liquor traffi'
hence l appeal again and again
&c good physicians everywhere to L
l. the methods of those great men
+ the profession who claim better r
h suits in the treatment of disea
l. without alcohol than with it; and
y appeal for the outspoken word
re warning to the public against indr
Of
la -ss