The Science of Drinking

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 60, 12 March 1887, Page 3

The Science of Drinking

ACCOKDINH to a rooont report by tho Hon. Goorgo C. Tannor, United States Consul at Cboirmitz, Germany, tho citizens of this country have as yoc no adoquato idea of tho scionco of drinking. Ho gives tho total bour production of tho Go-man ompiro for tho year ISS."> at 1,100,000,000, or otto billion ono hundred million* of gallons, and i>( winos and other alcoholic liquor*, nine hundred millions of Rnllong, making total of two thousand millions of gallons. This, tho consul stato?, was tho actual consumption in tho empire, as the ioinortations aro equal to the exportations. Tho aggrogato production for Germany ho gives at 40 Billion a year per capita, oetimation tho population 50 millions. Ho pives tho consumption in this country at 10 gallons per capital Consul Tanner further Kaye:-"1 h;ivo given this subject careful attention, unri have stated the ontiro boor production of Germany, including AlacoLorraino, and am sure of t'.'O accuracy of nty Mguros. Oho oan, then, form some idoa of tho enormous quantity of boer produced, when it would form a lako nioro than ono milo square and Gfc feet deep, or it, would make a running stream aH largo as some of our rivers. This is only baking into account ono itom in tfco economy of drinking in Germany. Winos and all kinds of spirituous liquors aro fn oly ured ; winoa to a much greater extent than stronger liquor*. It may be safely staled that tho cmiMimption of all intoxicants In this empire would reach noarly two billions of ga!lonH per annum. This bo:nf tho caae, somo faint conception of tho onormous drinking capacity of tho Gormans can bo found. Tho hop', barely, rye, potatoo", and other in"rodionts thatontcr into tho niiinufuctino-i ofdiis onormous quantity of liquors would ho more than two billions of pound*, ami would form a prood-pizßil mountain if planed in otic heap. Beor in tho nation beverage, and ig used as such, i' not to a groa'er extent than water, thorn assuredly equally so. Wine* aro used by tho wealthier clns.->eH iit males, and very extensively uted ; but boor is never abpent from a Gorman tablo of tho rich or poor, and it is a decided favourite with all truo Germans. Sineo my arrival in Goamiri I have to poo tho first glow of wator drunk. Boor miH bo furnished eorrantn for their repasos. I have puon childron hardly wonr.ed given beer without any apparent bad effect. 7 . . Scienco may bo carried into overy tiling. Tho science of drinking h»n been known and practi?ed in Europo forager, and this is a scienco, simple m it may appear, when compared with tho blind, irrational, and suicidal manner of drinking in (ho United Statos. This pcienco consists simply in tho tordinOßß of drinking. All drinka are taken sip by sip, v half or threequarters of an hour boiuj; consumed for a g'ass of beor. This is co titnplo iliat ono is liablo to ridiculo for laying stress upon it, and yet ou this ono point hinges, in my opinion, a question of viwt impo tance to Amoricans. Uy this manner of drinking, tho blood is aroused to a greater activity iv so gradual a manner that there is no violent derangement of tho animal economy. By slow drinking Hie German accomplishes the object of drinking, and givos his nninial economy a chance to say, 'Hold, enough I 1 which only slow drinking will do. ... Woman, unquestionably carries a purifying influence with her whorever she goee, and her preeonce in tho drinking places of Europe drives from them that class of low vagabonds that hang around American drinking places. Hence, one never eoes a drunken man in a cafe, and rarely oven on tho street. Perhaps no better possible illustration of tho purifying influences of woman could bo found. Cafes aro open to all classes, but the lower classes seldom vmt them ; they would be abashed by doing so as much as they would by entering a parlour where t.hny would moet refinement and elegant mannors. There are eomß oxceptions to this rule in the largor cities, but this is confined to cafes that are well known, and ladies avoid them ; there are no drinking places in Germany but what a lady may enter with all propriety. Drunkenness is rare, and if co, it rarely manifests itself in a boieterious or belligerent manner, but more frequently takes the shape of song, fun, and a general pleasurable feoliog of warmth, energy, and self command and honco those horrid crimes that sometimes Bhock us in tho United States are rarely hoard of hero. Then, why shouldthereexist e uch a difl'erenceintheevils of driDking in Europe and in the U-iitd States ? It Sa manifestly tho result of tho manner of drink'ng in vogue in tho two hemifpheres." Somo curious inferences might be drawn from Consul Tanner's report. Figuratively regarded, the time wasted by the Germans in swilling beer at half or threequarters of an hour per glass muat be enormous ; but then it is alleged to save them from intoxication. Can it Da true the trouble of the Americans U they do not drink enough, and if they would only follow tho German science in the mattor, namely, quadruple their drinks and sit longer ovor their cups, they would, like the Teutons, became a quiet, sober, and happy people ?