The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-05-06
MEDICAL BEER DEMAND COMES FROM THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC ALONE

The verdicts OF science and of med
icne as we'll as the opinions OF drug
gists, lawmakers, and others who
have expressed themselves are over
whelmingly against permitting the
manufacture and sale OF beer for me-
dicinal purposes.
Beer is not mentioned in the u. 5.
Pharmacopoeia, Ninth Decennial Re-
vision. Beer is not found among the
new and known official remedies ap-
proved by the Council on Pharmacy
and Chemistry OF the American Med
ical Association.
Scientists say beer has no food or
medical value Experiments by Drs.
Arthur Harden and Sylvester Solo
mon Zilva at the gardens OF the 70
illogical Society of London demon
strated that beer has no food value,
and no value as a preventive or cure
for disease.
In the official publication by the
Medical Research Council OF Great
Britain and Ireland, it is stated that
beer is destitute OF vitamins.
DIR. c. w. Saleeby of London, one
OF the most noted scientists in the
world says, "The verdict of all exist
ing scientific Investigations is unani-
nous that beer is worthless for main
tanning health, for promoting growth,
Or curing disease-includng the de
iciency diseases" rickets, beri-beri
and scurvy."
Doctors Do Not Favor Beer as
Medicine
The demand for beer as a medi-
ciEe did net come from the medical
profession.
No medical association has re-
quested the right to prescribe beer.
The American Medical Association
was in session when the Palmer beer
ruling was made, but no expression
favorable to beer as a medicine was
given out by this organization.
The right to use beer as a medicine
was not asked for by hospitals.
The use of alcohol in hospitals has
declined rapidly in recent years. As
a result of scientific tests the great
hospitals of England now use very
little beer.
There are approximately 100000
physicians in the United States. OF
the 1928 in those states that were
wet when the nation went dry only
$3.50 physicians-2o per cent-took
out whisky permits. Seventy-one
per cent did not regard alcohol as
sufficiently valuable in the practice OF
medicine to take out permits to pre-
scribe it. OF the 10000 physicians in
New York state only 1900 took out
permits to prescribe alcohol. Toward
the close of last year it was officially
reported that only 500 of these had
renewed their permits to prescribe
At its annual meeting three years
ago the American Medical Associa-
ton, the worlds largest body of sci
entists, adopted the following pream-
BILE and resolution: Whereas, we
believe that the use OF alcohol is det-
rimental to the human economy, and
whereas, its use in therapeutics as a
tonic or stimulant or for food has no
scientific value,
. Resolved, That the use OF alcohol
as therapeutic agent should be dis
couraged."
On April 9, 1921, in communca-
ton addressed to Congressman A. ].
Volstead, one hundred leading physi-
clans Of the United States expressed
the following as their opinion rela-
tive to the merits of beer as a medi-
cine:
ITO Whom 1t May Concern:
"The undersigned physicians of the
United States desire to place on rec
ord their conviction that the manu-
facture and sale of beer and other malt
liquor for medicinal purposes should
not be permitted. Malt liquors never
have been listed in the United States
Pharmacopoeia as official medicinal
remedies. They serve no medical
purpose which can not be satisfac-
sorily met in other ways, and that
without the danger of cultivating bev-
erage use of an alcoholic liquor"
Medical Testimony Against Beer
The following are few individual
expressions of opinion on beer as