The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1919-12-05
Figures Show Less Drunkenness

SiSdSS OFSI last year. MS ueHlO1l-
strates that the decrease after July
LIST was due to Prohibition and not to
other causes. In connection with the
above figures it must be considered
that no separate record is kept of ar
rests for drunkenness in Chicago.
All DRINKS are booked under. the dis
orderly conduct section of the city
statutes. Accordingly it is impossible
to ascertain from the records what
the actual reduction in drunkenness
has been. 1t is fair to assume, how
ever, the decrease is even greater than
indicated by the figures because dis
orderly cases not caused by drink
have doubtless continued. at normal
or even more.
Prohibition Helps Hospitals
In Chicago hospitals the decrease
in the number of accident cases and
delrium tremens patients is notable.
On November 18th, the following APP
peared in the Chicago Evening Post:
prohibition and the Hospitals
"The hospitals are feeling the eff
fects of Prohibition. A marked de-
cline in cases of alcoholism and in
emergency cases due to accidents re-
sulting from liquor indulgence is
noted by those in charge of these in
stitutions, according to Hospital Man
agement, an enterprising Chicago
publication which first conceived The
idea of testing the results of national
aridity by hospital records.
"In its current issue staff investi-
gator collates the testimony from
many parts of the country. There is
a remarkable agreement that enforced
abstinence is making for the better
health and general physical security
of the people
CDR. Carl Meyer of Cook county
hospital reports that since Prohibition
went into effect the daily average
number of patients has dropped from
1850 to about 1900; that instead of
twenty-five to fifty emergency cases
on Saturday night they have now
only two or three; cases of alcohol
ism have been almost eliminated, and
the typical bum, who used to figure
IN high percentage on the list of pa
tents, is rapidly disappearing.
"Dr. Meyer believes that one of the
direct consequences of this relief in
the pressure upon hospital accommo-
dation may be the postponement of
extensions for eight or ten years. A
saving to the taxpayer is clearly fore
Swallowed here, both in the reduced
per capita expenditure of the hospital
and the possible avoidance of enlarge
ment in a period of high cost for ma
teriai and labor
Hospitals in St Paul. Mimi; Wor-
cester, Mass; Louisville, KY; Pough-
keepsic, N. Y; Butte, Mont. Trin-
dad, Colo, and Youngstown, Ohio,
furnish testimony of like nature.
Several hospitals note a marked
improvement from the standpoint of
service. Employees are steadier and
more dependable Discharge for ex-
cessive use of alcohol has become
much less frequent.
6" 1t was quite customary says one
hospital where coiored help is largely
used, to have several places vacant
for day or so following pay days.
We seldom have this trouble now.
We have few charges on our pay roll
and as whole more self-respecting
atmosphere.
"These are worthwhile tributes to
the good effect of Prohibition. They
mean that the dry law is conserving
a vast amount of human energy that
was formerly burned up by alcohol.
No greater service could be done
America just now. The man who is
not in the emergency ward on Sat-
urday night is at his job on Monday
morning, and the man who is not
being cared for at public expense as
an alcoholic is earning livelihood for
himself and his family and so contrib
uting to the general good"
Will Prevent Many Deaths
DR.. John Dill Robertson, Health
Commissioner of Chicago, several
days ago said to representative of
The Issue that unquestionably Pro-
hibition will bring about a great re-
duction of deaths in Chicago. He
declared that while it is too early to
draw differences from the records,
they may, nevertheless, be significant.
Pointing to the greatly decreased
number of deaths from pneumonia