The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1929-07-01
MISSIONARIES AND EDINBURGH
SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Edinburgh. MAY |.

SlOnafle5, VINO QuallIleu Ill eulIlDuTBn
many years ago, being now at home from
abroad, wish to assure the community of
our sympathy with it in its endeavor TO
do away with the evils OF intemperance,
and of our desire to strengthen the hands
of those who are working in this cause
During our student days we saw good
deal of the CoWgate and surrounding dis
tricts and the drunkenness of the people
there Now. after three or four decades,
we are glad to see many improvements in
that locality as regards more airy streets.
improved houses, and all other health re-
forms But we are grieVed that intemper-
ance. though less than formerly, is still
much in evidence. We feel there is no
need to enlarge on the fact that the good
done by these newer health reforms is
being largely nullified by the fearful leak
age of physical health and moral vigor
resulting from the drink evil; that the
hospitals of our city still have to treat
large number of men and women, and
also children. whose bodily ailments are
directly or indrtcely due to alcohol, and
that the victims of the habit are to be
found in every walk of life, from the very
poor TO the wealthy and we'll educated
We can not believe, however, that the
public has taken in the acuteness of the
problem as seen in district like ST Giles
Ward In it, with population of under
1890. there are 90 places where alcoholic
drinks can be bought, or one place TO less
than every 200 of the population. In a
stroll down the Cowgate these places can
be seen on every side, and they are well
patronized. A visit to the homes of the
people reveals the fact that many fanli-
lies are spending as much on drink as
formerly, and are just as squalid as ever
-a,Frr risaFr 1itarr
q score or more of men and women roll
ing about the streets hopelessly drunk
some using the foulest language, while
dozens of children are playing about, lis
tening and looking on, becoming Injured
to these debaSing scenes. We have seen
tragic sights abroad, where famine. pes
thence and civil war have wrought ter
rible havoc within recent years. But we
have seen nothing more saddening than
the drink-sodden men and women to be
found in Edinburgh. Some of us have
carried on active medical work among the
Chinese for quarter of century with
out seeing as many cases of drunkenness
in that time as may be seen in a single
Saturday evening in the Cowgate.
Another side of the matter that special
~ concerns us as missionaries is the effect
that all this has on the increasing num-
Der of students from abroad, and especial
ly from those from the Far East, who
come here to study. Many OF them do
dispensary work in the poorer parts of
our city, and can not fail to be struck by
this deplorable deficit in our much
Wanted civilization There stares them
in the face this appalling evil which is
still rampant in our midst, and they can
not but be led to question the value of
our Christianity while this state of things
continues. Indeed, it becomes question
whether the intellectual uplift they re-
ceive here is not more than nullifed by
the spectacle of this demoralizing side
of our city's life. For this reason we
would urge, with all the eomphasis we
can command, that no stone be left un-
turned by the public of Edinburgh to put
an end to the drunkenness in our midst.
For the sake of the Victims for the sake
of the children, for the sake of the for
eigners amongst us, a much more active
and intensive campaign seems to be called
for. so that those who are now in the
grasp of the evil and those who are daily
slipping into its power may be helped to
save themselves. Tt is in the hope of
rousing public opinion in the matter that
this letter has been written We feel it is
hardly for us to make suggestions as to