Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-17
KL AIR AMENDMENT
NOT PUT TO VOTE
House of Representatives Post
pones Action on So-Called
physicians Bill"
STAFF Correspondence of Every Evening
ss,r.rts IIarsat. nnuEu a ppff 4 Y

Sthif Correspondence bf HffttS fANfiliuS
STATE HOUSE, DoyER, ApHrL IL.
After listening to proponents and oppo-
nente for two hours, the House OF Repre-
sentatives, yesterday, because OF the
absence of four members-B -Buckson, Dan
zenbaker. Hanratty and Quiglcy-de-
ferred action on the so-caled physicians
BILL" an act to amend the Klair bone
dry Prohibition law by permitting the
sale of alcohol and its derivatives for
medicinal purposes. Doctors, ministers
and members of the Womans s Christian
Temperance Union thronged the lobby
during the debate.
DIR. II. w Briggs of Wilmington eY-
planned the purpose of the bill and stated
the physicians merely asked for their CON
stitutionaI right He presented a petition,
signed by i25 legally qualified doctors,
who requested passage OF the bill.
DIR. Albert Robin of Wilmington said
all but four or five members of the New
Castle County Medical Society, which
has membership Of 90, favored the bill.
He declared prescribing morphine and
opium, now permitted by law, IS more
dangerous than prescribing alcohol. lie
cited 'Au" cases in which, he claimed,
the use of alcohol had been beneficial.
DIR. Howard A Kelly Of Baltimore
asserted that although alcohol was
formerly used IN pneumonia and tuber-
c1losis cases. no eminent physician uses
il now He stated the American MedicaF
Association, as body, had discontinued
it's use and DR. Harvey Wiley had eliml-
mated il from the United States Phar-
macopedia. He mentioned Crapelaud,
Horsey and other noted surgeons who,
ne said. had discredited it. lie never
81 IN
conditions or diabetic eases. He quoted
DR.. Weir Mitchell Of Philadelphia as say
ing fmore persons have died from alcohol
than snake bites He thought DIR
Charles Mavo rarely employed alcohol
as n drug and declared IL viii not help in
'.fu and pneumonia casea. lie expressed
the opinion that il causes a great deal Of
tuberculosis, high blood pressure and
insanity.
DR.. Luther s. Conwell, secretary Of the
State Board Of Health believed the bills
purpose was TO 'loosen John Barleycorn's
chains lie said the great foe should
be manaclcd forever fEe alleged the pro-
posed amendment would tempt some
doctors to prescribe improperly. He ridicul-
ed patients suggesting what they should
take. He declared alcohol is neither stimuli
liant nor tonic, but poison. He stated
druggists can get all the alcohol they
want for tinctures. but should not bc
permitted to obtain il for iniusions He
contendod alcohol will not prevent de
'irun tremens, diphtheria, scarlet lever
or smallpox
: Rev. Carlisle r. Hubbard Of Winning
ton praised the legislators for ratifyng
the Prohibition amendment to the Con-
stitution Of the United States and passing
the enforcement act He pleaded not to
open loophole and asked for a chance TO
make good under the klair law He called
physicians henefactors, but asserted Their
contentious in behalf Of alcohol would not
hold.
George W. Crabbe Of the Anti-Saloon
League declared passage Of the bill would
border close TO bringing back the corner
saloon" lie commented on constitutional
features Of the argument. He cited p
deaths from flu in which cases whisky
had been prescribed. He told the Legsla-
tors an nunscrupulous physician at Washing
ton had been paid e, 300 IN one week for
issuing alcoholic prescriptions.
DIR. Robin q sagreed with DR.. Kelly
and 20 Offset some authorities mentioned
by the Baltimore specialist quoted DR.
Herbert Hare Of Philadelphia as saying
alcohol is valuable in cases of pneumonia
and blood poisoning Speaking Of viola
tions of law, DIR Robin said some Italians
IN Wilmington sell fine wine labeled
lemon soda
DR. Briggs compared the Klair and
Nolstead laws and stated the latter, a