New-York tribune., 1919-05-14
Also Liberal Allowance of
Alcohol in Patent Medi-
cines Is Advocated as an
Antidote to Prohibition
Fears Drug Evils Growth
DR.. Clueck, of Sing Sing,
Agrees With Him in Chari-
ties Conference Discussion

cines were advocated as antidotes to
the prohibition law by Cornelius F..
Collins, Justice of the Court of Special
Sessions, speaking at the tenth annual
conference of Charities and Correc-
tions at the United Charities Building
yesterday.
The subject was "After the Saloon
WHAT" Judge Collins's pessimism as
to the baneful effects of prohibition
: created stir in the audience, CON-
posed largely OF women welfare work
ers. They found a spokesman in DR..
l.. |. Harris, however, who jumped to
his feet.
ut is most astonishing, most ex-
traordinary," he exclaimed. eve come
here to listen to a discussion of After
the Saloon--What? :? and we hear no
mention of the facts that after the sa-
loon we shall have lessening of pow
erty, disease and crime"
Judge Collins explained by saying
that his speech was really in reply to
the query, "After the saloon, what
evils, IT any, must we guard against %
Worse Evil Than Alcoholism
The Judge urged that if prohibition
were strictly enforced it would bring a
worse evil than alcoholism upon the
community in the increased number of
drug addicts.
Fanatic Interpretation of the law
which would allow no alcohol at all for
beverage purposes" he said, "would
lead to such dire results that we hope
the extremists may not have their way
There are many occasions when a ply
slclan sees the need of medical stimu-
lation; if by reason of bgoted law
makers he is not allowed to administer
alcohol as a stimulant drugs will have
to be used, and slight Indulgence in
drugs is much more likely to cause
| portion of alcohol to cause alcoholism
Il foresee that patent medicines
which are largely a combination OF
alcohol and drugs, are going to be
quite popular after July /.
The quantity of drugs allowed in
patent medicines is now greater than
would be safe it these medicines were
to become popular beverages. Legisla-
tors should be liberal as to the proper
tion Of alcohol in medicines and limit
the proportion of drugs.
Should Prepare at Once
II VIII not 40 TO walt until
formidable necessity is upon the com.
to see that the laws which are made
to inforce the prohibition amendment
are regulated by knowledge of social
conditions, rather than by fanatical
zeal for reform.
I'VE know that the worst menace to
the community is the chronic alcoholic
who becomes a drug fiend. and we
know that the alcoholic will become a
drug addict if he cannot obtain al
cohol. Therefore it is inconceivable
chat the state will be SO obtuse as to
rrevel.t physicians prescribing alcohol
to chronics.
"Perhaps we shall have drink dis
pensarics. Certainly the prescription
vised A stated quantity, enough to
last for a long period, could b. per-
mitted in this case, which cannot be
allowed in the case Of drug distribu-
ton.
THE lawmakers, too, when they
come to define Intoxicating, need
not insist on a limit which precludes
the possibility of intoxication. 1t is
TO be hoped that they will permit some
degree of alconol in liquids for gen
eral consumption that will not be
deemed violation of the prohibition
spirit, even if technically it does vio-
late strict construction of the law
and this will furnish an additional
safeguard.
True Also of individuals
"You know what our President said
of nations the other day-that they
cannot change their habits in a day
| is equally true of individuals. If we
! have a strict hysterical enforcement
of the prohibition law we shall be con.
! fronted with the danger of drug ad
diction, beside which the evils Of al
coholism fade into insignifcance."
DR.. Bernard Glueck, director of the
psychological laboratories at Sing Sing
Prison, who followed Judge Collins
drug addiction, and urged that certain
beneficent influences Of the saloon anc
the engaging human qualities of the
/ bartender be reorganized into some
helpful form of social activity.
H Franklin Chase Hoyt, presiding jus
tice of the Children's Court, opened
the conference. He was followed by
DR.. Royal S. Copeland, Health Com
missioner, who declared the two great
est public health problems were NAL
nutrition of children and the dru,
evil.
DR.. Copeland then delivered an at
tack on the State Narcotic Commission
which he said was evidently "suffer
ing from narcosis, or sleeping sick
ness" for it had failed to contribut,
to the solution of the drug evil.
"I trust that this conference viii
take some action" he said, chat will
put some dynamite under the stat,
department. so we may get some &C
tivity from it. Your conference cal
confer no greater public good thar
this"
The evening session was devoted t,
"War Labor Problems" and the speak
ers were George j. Gillespie, Mis-
Juliet Stuart Poyntz, B. Edmund Davis
a silk manufacturer of Patterson, an,
William 0. Thompson.