Evening star., 1925-05-28

cohol as beverage is detrimental &c
the human economy; and
Whereas its use in therapeutics as
a tonic or Stimulant or as a food has
no scientific basis: Therefore be it
Resolved, That the American Med
ical Association opposes the use OF a.
cohol as a beverage; and be it further
Resolved, That the use of alcohol
as a therapeutic agent should be dis
couraged.'
Two years later, September, 1919,
the National Retail Druggists Asso-
citation, in session at Rochester, y.
Y, resolved that Legislation should
not provide for sales by the phar-
macists of the country of such alco-
holic liquor for any purpose, and
urged every retail dealer to refrain
from taking out a liquor permit"
X x
The contest between the "wets' and
"drys" is unending, either in the
American Medical Association or
amongst the druggists. At the meet
ing of the doctors in San Francisco
two years ago the following resolu-
ton was adopted:
Resolved, That the American Med
ical Association now expresses its dis
position of a small minority of the
profession of being purveyors of al
coholic beverages
i; X -
In an editorial in the National Drug
gist the statement appears that after
the American Medical Association in
its annual session had adopted the
anti-alcohol pronouncement, a referen-
dunn of the full membership showed
that more than half supported the
position condemning the therapeutic
value of alcohol. Commenting on the
action of the association, the Nationa!
Druggists editor said:
1.-The declaration, as every one
knows, did not embody or pretend to
be the result of any new scientific dis
covery or even empirical determine
| ton, nor was it supposed to represent
a consensus of medical opinion at the
time. 1t was the act, too, of the ref
erence committee on legislation and
| political action" and of the house OF
delegates, both Of which have TO DO
not with matters pertaining 10 science
and therapeutics, but with the political
| and public phases Of the associations
activities
| Since the above version purports TO
| explain that ii was association lac
tional politics which procured the pas
sage of the previous resolutions, 1t is
| claimed that the same conditions ap-
ply to the present convention IN At
lantic City, and that the action of the
| house of delegates does not repre-
, sent the scientific conclusions Of the
great majority of the members. The
convention contains perhaps a few
hundred doctors, while the total num-
| Der in America exceeds 152,627 physl-
clans in active practice.
| The chief opposition to the American
Medical Associations position OF 1317
and 1923, condemning alcohol as
| therapeutic, comes from New York
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and LII
nois, in which States 29 per cent OF
the doctors prescribe 58 per cent OF All
the prescriptions for alcohol issued L
the whole United States. The Allan
tic City resolution was introduced b.
a member from Long Island. IL IL
pointed out by prohibition off1ciah
that since physicians have never been
in the least restricted as to medicateo
alcohol, but only as to potable liquor
the resolution therefore must be IN
tended to add to the physicians actiVl-
ties in "purveying liquor" contrary
to the protest Of the association IN
1923.
The chief surgeon of Johns Hopkins
University, DIR. Howard Kelly, writes;
81 do not myself believe that the
medical profession is conscious OF any
pressing need of alcohol for 1t Is not
known as a remedy or an important
or necessary adjuvant in any disease.
The ailment where its use has been
generally asserted to be beneficial Is
diabetes in an advanced stage, anu
here insulin has come within teW
months to supplant IT.
ION the other hand, / take IL tnat
even though we were to concede the
occasional need of alcohol, its POSI-
BILE usefulness is far outweighed by
the enormous harm done by horde OF
doctors who are utterly uncontroil
BILE, prescribing indiscriminately to al!
corners. Myriads of drunkards and
narcotic victims have been created In
the past by medical prescriptions
With the advent of prohibition. we
have discovered that many mealcaJ
men have ideals not one whit above q
bartender; witness the doctors who
pour out their prescriptions for alco-
hol daily until their blanks run out"
fCopyrisht 1875. by rsul " CoiiinAk