Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-15
A young man said to US:

bows when l am where they are drink
ing as have right to do. but don't
like the stuff and should never take it
if | were alone except as a medicine.
I don't have any use for your temper
ance talk nor do / take any stock in
prohibition. The thing that DOES get
to me is the fact that our family doctor
has gone back on all forms Of alcoholic
preparation as medicine. when he used
to prescribe whiskey for colds and beer
or ale for building up the general
health. He says scientific study, tests
and experiments have revealed that al
cohoI IS a fraud and always an evil,
that something else Is always better In
its place and that belief in it is
superstition and snare. II you can
publish any facts along these lines you
can appeal. to such fellows as l am
but don't talk prohibition to intelligent
young men for most Of them believe
that they have perfect right 70 make
fools of themselves If they care to-"
Our Intelligent" young friend for
got for the moment that he, as an in
telligent" and more or less responsible
factor OF civil and social life, that he
has no right to spread contagious dis
eases or otherwise menace the common
welfare. But here is an article circu-
lated by the Board Of Temperance.
with its explanatory note at the top.
Let our young friend and others read
it: IT can do them no harm.
(The inquiry reported below was made
IS months ago. No bulletin has been
issued previously because the Board OF
Temperance desired that the report should
be made by DR.. Winfield Scott Hall, who
co-operated in making the inquiry. Dr..
Hall has been too busy to report the
at some time in the future. The report
below is a layman's review of the facts. }
Fifteen years ago not one physician
in ten condemned the use Of alcohol
as an internal medicine. Whisky,
wine, and beer were used in medical
practice in dosage quantities equal to
IDe uSSu III DC-
ginning about that time, however,
eminent doctors in Europe and Amer
lea began to advocate the limitation
of the use Of alcohol as a medicine.
Among these physicians were Sir
benjamin Ward Richardson, Sims
Woodhead, Forel, KassowitZ and a
few others in Europe, and Nathan S.
Davis, T. D. Crothers, j. H. Kellogg.
and few others in America. In ter
years time, however so advanced had
become the sentiment not only in re-
gard to the limitations Of the use Of
alcohol as a medicine, but in condem-
ration of it's use as beverage, that the
London Times said: According to
recent developments Of scientific opin-
ion, it is not impossible that a belief
in the Strengthening and supporting
qualities of alcohol will eventually
become as obsolete as belief in
witchcraft."
| Early in 1915, the Temperance So
ciety. believing that the time had
come when an effort should be made
to show the trend Of present medical
opinion in regard to the use of alcohol
as a beverage and its frequent use as
a medicine. made an arrangement with
DR.. Winfield Scott Hall, in charge Of
the Department Of Physiology of the
Medical College of Northwestern Uni
versity to conduct an investigation
among the presidents Of state medical
societies, the heads of the leading
hospitals in large cities, the health
officers of large cities, and instructors
in the principal medical schools. In
order that there should not even be
a suggestion to influence the nature
Of replies and to more fully secure
the scientific cooperation Of those ad-
dressed the letters sent out were
signed by DR.. Hall himself and writ
ten upon his letterheads and all re-
plies went to him. No physician in
! such an inquiry than DR.. Hall. who is
president OF the American Medical
Society for the Study Of Alcohol and
Other Narcotics and has held numerous
medical honors.
| Replies were received from AZ
/ hospitals located in leading central
cities. In 80 of these hospitals the
use of alcohol as A remedial agent
is decreasing. In response to an
inquiry as to how much less alcohol
Is used now than the amount used
fve years ago, a number Of the re-
plies say that the decrease has been
so marked that practically none is
now used. Others give figures; for
instance, the Hospital Of the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church in Phila-
delphia. with 3,206 patients in 1898,
used $1.135.22 worth of alcoholic
drinks, but in 1914, with 6,3l2 pa
tients. the expenditure was only
s3s4,53. Quite number Of the re-
plies say that the decrease in the past
hVe years amounts to ninety per cent:
others says seventy-flve per cent, and
some fifty per cent, while few report
smaller decrease than thirty per
cent. 1t seems from the replies from
these hospitals that the use Of alcohol
as a remedy for shock is almost dis
appearing, and there also seems to be
little belief in the brewers theory
that beer is useful as an aid to con-
valescence.
1t is notable that in a great number
or cases where alcohol is spoken of
as possibly having some value, the
qualification is made that 1t is Of