The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-05-18
Prohibition or
Race Suicide Says
DR.. {. G. Davis
Chicago Specialist Calls Saloon
Sewer of Degradation Which
Carries Millions to
Destruction

OF race SulCide
DIR. Davis was one of the first sur
geons to dispense with the use of
alcohol in surgical cases and created
a sensation among medical and sur
gical men sometime ago in announc-
ing that he had operated on $50 cases
and that $40 of them were discharged,
improved or cured, and that not a
drop of alcohol had been used in any
one OF them.
Alcohol Enemy of Race
In his contribution to The Issue
DIR. Davis says:
Zone thousand years from now the
historian will record the events of to-
day and classify them under the gen
eral heading, The Age of Alcohol
1t will be pathetic but interesting lit
erature. Between now and then 80
generations will have passed along
the journey of human life and our
activities will be so far removed that
the reader of that day will probably
review the panorama of our period
without prejudice. Rather will he be
moved by the emotion of pity as he
beholds the horrors of world gone
mad. And what is it, this destruction
of the work of ages but madness?
Notwithstanding all the progress
we have made in the development of
art, science and literature, it is quite
evident that we have deteriorated
Evolution has been retarded and we
are turned backward more than a
thousand years.
physically, mentally and spiritually
there is a worldwide manifestation
of inefficiency.
RIOTS Human Brain
THE human brain is rotting. In
fact, every tissue of the physical body
is being invaded by pathological bac-
terra owing to the lowering of vital
resistance.
"The cells of the human brain are
so disturbed in their molecular action
it is impossible for them to elabo-
rate original and constructive thought
Morally the standards are lowered
and man is letting go those higher
principles to which we have long
looked for the uplift of mankind
1.-THE races OF MEN are erurnbiing,
physically, mentally and morally, and
instead of construction we have the
worldwide destructive flames of war
"What is the matter with the
world?
1.-THE answer is, thousand years Of
alcoholic saturation.
Produces Involution
"All life should evolute; alcohol pro-
duces involution.
take the largest and finest breed
of dogs--the great Dane, for exam
ple-and for three or four genera
tions feed them daily little alcohol
and what is the result? What was
previously large noble animal will
deteriorate into swapping, snarling,
fighting, almost hairless, insignificant
little cur. And yet we feed men OIL
this 1ethal poison for thousands Of
years and then wonder why we have
disease, pestilence, insanity and war
I'm this dawn of the twentieth cen
fury it may be truthfully affirmed that
the aggressive war brain is the brain
that directly, or indirectly through
heredity, has been poisoned by al
cohol
THE alcoholic brain cannot evolve
those emotions of the human soul that
make for peace.
"We may talk peace, legislatc for
peace and make peace treaties, but
wars will never cease till the brain is
freed from the corroding effects of
alcohol. Alcohol is undermining the
health of mankind and the normal
physical development of the body
cannot be restored until this poison
is eliminated. Asylums, jails, peni-
tentiaries, Predetermined institutions,
HOSpltdlS anu private HOIHSS are
crowded with those suffering from its
destructive action.
This is the great sewer of degra-
dation which is carrying untold mil
lions to destruction.
"How shall we arrest this mighty
stream of human waste?
There is but one answer.
Remove the cause. Let us have
worldwide Prohibition. Nothing else
can save civilization. In doing this
we shall solve many of the questions
relating to the betterment of the
world.
"Let us get rid of drink and the
social evil will be wiped out, jails
and penitentiaries will be deserted, in
sane asylums will be less numerous,
crime will be reduced to minimum,
poverty will be unknown, tuberculo-
sis will disappear, syphilis will be
eradicated, hospitals will be almost