The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-05-06
Scientists Find Beer :
Useless as Medicine
Prohibition Needed to Save Civiliza-
ton Declares Race Welfare
Expert


The following is from DIR. c. w.
Saleeby's address at the annual meet
ing of the State Board of the Anti
Saloon League at Springfield:
Within the last eighteen months
we have learned by experience the
wonderful effect OF Prohibition upon
public and racial health. The Ameri-
can lesson must be published through
out the world and especially in Eu-
rope. 1t is possible that liquor does
more harm by helping the spread of
venereal diseases even than it does
on its own account. The effect of
Prohibition in America has been to
make soluble for the first time the
problem OF fighting venereal disease
i'll great modern cities. Everywhere
III Europe, not least in England that
fight is now unsuccessful. In view
OF what America has shown us, it be-
gins to be of a nature OF obvious
humbug to attempt or pretend any
further to protect youth and the race
from vcnereal disease until we have
got the alcohol factor out of the way.
An International Lie Factory
Somewhere or other, possibly in
London there is an international lie
factory about Prohibition, distribut-
ing falsehoods i'll all languages
throughout the world 1t is surely
the business of patriotic Americans
to stop these lying mouths. And %
publish broadcast such an achieve
ment, as in Boston for instance.
more than Is per cent reduction in
venereal disease since the advent OF
Prohibition
Science Against Medicinal Beer
Wonders will never cease. Just
when modern science has demong
started vitamins i'll diet just when
the most authoritative scientific COM
mittee ever appointed for the purpose,
the Liquor Control Committee in
England, has unanimously reported
against alcohol as either a tonic or
stimulant, just at this of all moments,
the brewers make the discovery that
beer is medicine This poisoned
mixture, all made from good food
gone wrong, has never been in the
Pharmacopoe:a of any country nor
will it ever be. We have fed animals
on IT iii London and found it per-
fectly useless, either to prevent or
cure disease or to maintain normal
growth. We even removed the alco-
hol from it in some experiments, in
order that the action of that poison
might be excluded, and we found the
residue, even thus given the best
chance, to be useless also ] am con-
fdent that the great medical profess
sion of America, with its glorious rec
ord in science, and in the practical
application of science, will repudiate
the attempt OF the brewers to give the
lie to scientific therapeutics.
Favors Anti-Beer Bills
"The new Nolstead Act will do
great service to public health and hon
est medicine, if it strikes a blow at
this ignorant self-drugging at which
SO many patent medicines connve.'
Very often indeed the liquor in these
patent medicines leads the patient on
to the use of drugs even worse than
alcohol.
Prohibition Great Health Measure
Il desire and predict great asso-
citation and coordination between
the churches and Prohibition forces
ON the one hand and the hygenic and
medical force on the other. The
churches and Prohibitionists have not
yet realized the colossal services,
which they are rendering to public
health and especially to eugenics.
Their work is indispensable for the
creation OF the great American race
of the future. On the other hand the
sanitarians and hygenists and eugen-
how much they owe and will owe to
Prohibition. 1t gets the dirt out Of
the way, cleans up the mess, is the
beginning of the end OF what call
the racial poisons, clears the field, and
gives the forces of construction and
creation a fair chance for their work.
Civilization Needs Dry America .
Whatever happens in Europe thai
highest form of civilization which we
call occidental and which had its orr
gin in Europe, will be safe forever in
America if the people OF this great
country hold fast to these truths
which have potential in them the sal
walton of youth and race.
"In my forthcoming volume on
The Eugenic Prospect to be pub
lished by Messrs. Dodd, Mead & Co.
in New Nork I aftemDt to rbo,,, the