DRINKERS AND NON-DRINKERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 62, 10 September 1904, Page 11

DRINKERS AND NON-DRINKERS.

Dr. Tom Godfrey, In the Fortnightly Review, divides men into nine classes. The first three are respectively habitual inebriates, recurrent inebriates, and habitual drunkards. He also includes the following :—: — 5. Heavy drinkers: Persons who take frequent nips throughout tho day, bub though constantly muddled, I'urely, if ever, get definitely uitoxicatcd. They usually die before lifly, or become dyspeptic and nervous total abstainers. A few attain average longevity. 6. Immoderate drinkers: Those who regularly take alcoholic liquids with mea\s, and, »ay, three- times a. day betweon meals. 7. Moderate drinkem : Those who habitually take alcohol either with meals, or, say, three times a day between meals. Nearly all members of tho first five classes, many members of tho sixth claw, and Bonic, tho lr.ss resistant, members of tho M>vonth class, shorten their lives, lessen their brain capacity, decrcofto their utility to tho State and to their families, and tiro likely to produce offspring who will be less capable, lean healthy, lew hr.ppv and le«>s useful units in the nation than tboy might havo been. 8. The abstemious: Those who never tnko alcohol, except either, «ny, twice a day, at meal*, or, say, twice a day between meals, and wlip frequently do not touch it in nny form for periods of a fortnight or so. Nearly all these, and probably most of nil O1(\S8 7, are moro benefited tluvn injured by their uno of alcohol, when wlidl thoy take is ol good quality. 9. Total abstainers: Some from choke, somo from necessity; a group with high ideals, but too often willing to attempt unwise and tyrannical compulsion on those who differ from them. Judging from tho legislative proposal* they We hitherto evolved, they aro probably, on tho average, not quite such useful 'members of tho State as those of CLi«sca 7 and 8.