Evening star., 1940-12-28
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

BIZ Thomas r. Henry.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec 27.-An able
bodied American Of 1910 could drink
quart of whisky q day with few bad
physical effects.
Such an allowance at present prob
ably would mean an early grave for most
men.
1t was not, pr. Norman Jolliffe OF New
York University told the American As
sociation for the Advancement of Sci
ence here today, that the sturdy pioneer
was so much more of he-man than his
sissihed great grandchildren, but be-
cause of what he ate. Recent studies
show that his average diet contained
three times as much vitamin Bl as does
the average Of 1910.
Recent studies have shown, DR.. Jel-
life said, an extremely complicated re-
lationship, still obscure in many aspects,
between this vitamin and some OF the
most serious effects of alcoholism. Many
of the physical and mental symptoms of
the chronic alcoholic are similar to those
of persons on a diet seriously deficient
In the substance.
The first explanation was simple. Too
much whisky kills the appetite. The al
coholic did not eat and hence did not get
his vitamins But, DR.. Jelliffe said 1t
now is known one of the chief func-
tions of the vitamin is associated closely
with the number of calories, or heat
units, of food consumed. This is true
of all calories not obtained from fats.
Alcohol has a very high caloric value.
It contains no vitamins at all. Conse-
quently whisky drinker not only gets
less food, but at the same time more
calories and less vitamins. Also there
is increasing evidence that alcohol has
some effect on the liver which inhibits
the full action of the vitamins actually
consumed.
Tax figures show, Dr. Jolliffe said. that
the average American man Of drinking
age-making no allowances for very
moderate drinkers and total abstainers
is consuming close to 10 quarts Of
WIlShy yCdl. 4lllo AiSoAAo pAAut ooo
food calories a day is represented by
this part of his diet, even If he eats full
meals at the same time.
simultaneously, Department OF Agri-
culture studies show, the American diet
is barely sufficient in b. to reach the
margin of safety. With prepared foods
1t has been falling since 1910, when
there was a good deal of leeway to take
care of the quart day.
That was probably why" said DR.. Jol-
life, IF accounts are to be believed
they could drink more and live longer"
Also, he pointed out, whisky irritates
the gastrointestinal tract so that food
is not so well digested.
Monkeys given barely enough vitamin
B. to save them from the deficiency con-
dition, polvneuropathy, promptly devel-
oped it when a little whisky was added
to their diets.
But there is little evidence to show,
said DR. E. NJ Jellinek, also OF New York
University at the same meeting, that
the taste for whisky of the American
of today is an inheritance from his
quart-a-day ancestor 1t has long been
believed that alcoholism runs in families,
but, said DR.. Jellinek, nobody believes
now in the biological transmission of
alcoholic addiction. The question mar
rows down to the possible existence of
non-specific heredity among alcoholics.
There is no doubt that in the fam
lilies of chronic alcoholics there is
markedly higher incidence of psychosis,
epilepsy, psychopathy and suicide than
in the general population. But investi-
cations have gone astray in generalizing
that alcoholism is product of a nom
specific hereditary liability. All they
actually show is that persons with an
hereditary taint are more liable to be-
come alcoholics than persons without
such liability factor. One must esti-
mate that at least 40 per cent of the
chronic alcoholics develop their alcohol
addiction entirely through external in
fluences and these play not inconsider-
able role in the picture. There is no
compelling reason for the liability factor
to manifest itself in the form of alco-
holism"
The present state Of the world is prob
ably one dominant reason for alcoholism,
it was stressed by DR.. A. J. Carbon, noted
physiologist of the University of Chicago.
For the time being" he said, I'VE of
today seem to have lost much of the
mental stamina of the pioneers We
have neither the CUTS for philosophy of
stoicism nor the faith to render the
heaven of tomorrow much of solace
for current woes, or motive toward mod
Grafton in all things. So we hunt means
of escape from the thorns of living, and
alcohol is one of them.
There are many others, some of them
far worse. Alcoholic inebriety is most
injurious to the individual The periodic
and pandemic inebriety of war impairs
us all"
DR.. Carlson expressed the belief that
eventually something would be found
in alcohol itself responsible for the ad-
diction to it. 1t is undoubtedly true, he
said, that "the overwhelming majority
of civilized men and women can con-
sumo alcohol within moderation for the
greater part of their lives without be-
coming alcohol addicts.
'If alcohol is a habit-forming drug
per Sc it is evidently so only for small
percentage of our population. Some say
these are weak-willed daydreamers and
H.