SICK ALL OVER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 992, 6 December 1910, Page 8

SICK ALL OVER.

HAD SEVERE HEADACHES. LAXO-TONIC PTLLS CHANGE . .• ALL.THIS. "I write to tell you of the great benefit I have received from tho use of La>\ - oTonic Pills," writes Mrs. Agnes JI. W'csterraan, 3 Fulhain Street, Enmore, N.S.W. "Prior to taking them I used to feel very tired and sick all over, always felt as if 1 Wanted t"o lie down. I also suffered from severe headnches. I tried most of the advertised pills "and, mixtures, but none of them had any.effect, or did me any good. Since I started using Laxoi'ouie Pilis all this has- changed, for after taking two doses I became' myself again." I found that, ihey also acted beneficially on tho kidneys. Laxo-Tonic Pills certainly do all that is claimed for them." ■ Many suffer severely with headaches, and tliey will derive great benefit from a course of Lnxo-Tonic Pills. Tho wellknown laxative and 'onic properties of theso pills are oi wonderful effect in purifying the blood and toning up tho system." . They are obtainable every--1 .-where. Price 10i<l., and Is. 6d. 2

DECLINE,IN 'DRINKING.. ■'-'.... ■— ——-* j — : —.-. '• *' STRIKING BRITISH STATISTICS. . MODERN SMCOGLiXGI.- '. .The first: report of the British Cnin-' missioners of Custpms and Excise .issued' on October 10 cjvprs the period from April I, 11109, when the two. departments were amalgamated, lo March 31, 1910. It ■embodies many facts of .interest lo tlie general public. An idea.of the. importance of the amalgamated bodies may bo gathered from I lie fact that during the year ■ they collected no less limn i90,000,qn0. ; . The statistics as to tho consumption of intoxicating, drink is of peculiar significance, as they Vliow a steady decline, which set.in before llr. Lloyd Georgn's historic liudget. Taking spirits first, the quantities retained f?r consumption per head of the population m'iuc' 1901 were as.follows in proof niuts:— Bngland.. Scotfa'nd. "Ireland.- .'••". Pints.' Pints. Pints'. 1901 8.00 14.88 8.72 1903 IX 14.48 8.40 1905 '~ 6.72 ,12.88 7.84 1907 6.48 12.80 v 7.7(! 190!) :.. 6.0S . 12.16 ■ 7.52 . 1910 1.08 8.24 . " s.ot'.'. It would lie quite .unsafe, however, to draw the conclusion that.the.low figure for the' year-ended March 31 will be retained, because the retailers, hoping' that new spirit duties'would'Bβ repealed, took the'smallest possible ,quantities of bond.' This is shown by'the fact? that the spirits in -bond on Jlarch 31, 1909, amounted .to 154,240,000 proof gallons—. the lowest figure since 1901—and that on March 31 '■ Inst the quantities had increased to 157,200,000 gallons. It is'known that since the; new Budget was introduced Inrge .quantities of spirits have been relensedl. >■- . ■ ■•■•.-

.In' regard to the , consumption of beer, the nationalities are not distinguished.' Taking the past f.en'years, : the quantities of home-made beer retained for consumption in the. -United Kingdom per head of the population were as follows in-stand-aid'gallons,.— • ;'■'■' ; ■ Gallons . ■ ■ ' Per head. 1901 ; ; 31.48 1 1902 : :.... 30.0G ■ 19D3 .'.' : :... 30.31 1904 29:51 1905 '......;...:.' 28.41 '-. 1906 : 27.90 ■ 1907 ....:. 27.81. 190S ....'..'l 27.63 . 1909. : : 26.17 1910. 25.87 ' The number of bulk barrels of beer—a bulk barrel meaning one containing 36 gallons of liquid irrespective of gravityproduced in the year ended March 31 .was SJ,3on,oon. a decline: of. 76,000 barrels compared with 1909, and of no fewer than 2,587,000 barrels compared with 1901. English beer is still getting- weaker.. Taking the standard gravity at 55, that of English beer was 52.30 (the lowest since 1902,' when it-was 52.92); while. Scotch beer stood at -18.18, and Irish as high as 61.78.

■: Brewers for sale numbered 4512 Inst March, 'a decline of 1598 compared with 1901. In the same, period private brewers declined from 12,-HO (almost, entirely in England) to 700 G. In the financial year the total number of seizures of smuggled goods was '1879, showing a slight increase. .The smuggled tobacco seized weighed 10,3951b. This tobacco was given to the Criminal Lunatic Asylums; but arrangements have now been made for giving; supplies when available to the three State Inebriates Reformatories. ' .■ ,

It is noted that largo' quantities of foreign' reprints of copyright works are soizr.d annually. These books, which were formerly 'destroyed, are now' distributed -amongst. the.-,lighthouses of. t/ie United Kingdom. Diiving the pi\*t> ten years 213,000 postcards and 24,400 photographs of an indecent and obscene character were seised by the Customs and destroyed. In 1909 lottery advertisements to the number of 2186 were seized.

Tho administration of Mie Old Age Pension Act is,in the hands of the Excise and Customs .Department ami has been

■ admirably carried.,out. The-number nf old" e.go pensioners on March 31, last, was as.follow?:- : . ' Arnf." Eng. .Wales. Scotland. Ireland. ss. ... 370,117 .2t;B2fi 72.1575 470,52!) 45.':.. 10,073 Ofi.i 1.504 3,630 ' ,3s. ... 15,728 ■• fl2l .1,604 ' .3,981. - -■■2s 7,.W ■ 421 . r>37 ' 1,868 Is. •... ■ 4,078 248 370 , . 855 Total -114,108 .27,381 76,880 180,972 ' This makes ;i grand total of 690,352 peniione.rs. During the year.03,832 pensioners died.