IS ALCOHOL A POISON

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 148, 6 November 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

IS ALCOHOL A POISON

Sir—ln " The Truth about Alcohoi," copied from the British Medical Journal into current number of Alliance News, there are many points which will highly commend themselves to all temperance reformers. But the following which is evidently intended as a blow at the belief that alcohol is, as now popularly understood by teetotalers, a poison (ie., "a substance which," to quote the British Medical Journal's own definition, "in small quantity injures health," (fee), will, I am sure, be resented by teetotalers everywhere : — • " It is frequently asserted on temperance platforms that alcohol is a poison. Now, all depends on our definition of terras. A poison is usually defined as a substance which in small quantity injures health or destroys life. It is undoubtedly most true that an individual can poison himself with alcohol, and cases of alcoholic poisoning are unhappily all too common ; but poisoning with sulphuric acid or with chlorate of potash is not unknown, yet no one thinks of styling these substances poisons, as popularly understood." The writer was present at the Free Trade Hall gathering when the late Bishop Fraser designated alcohol a poison, and for so doing was cheered to the echo. When the Bishop afterwards sought to qualify his statement by saying " I do not mean to say alcohol is always a poison," the vast audience exhibited unmistakable evidence of its firm belief that the Bishop's pronouncement was right in the first instance and could not be improved. Sir Andrew Clark, physician in ordinary to the Queen, physician to Mr. Gladstone, and senior physician at the London Hospital, says — "Alcohol is a poison. So is strychnine, so is arsenic, so is opium. It ranks with these. . . ." Sir William Gull, physician to her Majesty, says — "I should say from my experience that alcohol is the most destructive agent that we are aware of in this country. ... I would like to say that a very largo number of people in society aro dying day by day poisoned by alcohol, but not supposed to be poisoned by it." Dr. John Cheyne, lato physician general in Ire* laud, remarked to a Parliamentary Committee — " Ardent spirits are very destructive to health, and may be deemed a poison ; " and added : " Writers upon Toxicology [the science of poisons] include ardent spirits in the list of poisonous substances." Sir Astley Cooper says : " I never sutler ardent spirits in my house. . . . Spirits and poisons are synonymous terms." Dr. Pereira, examiner of inateria medica in the London University, defined alcohol as " a powerftil irritant and caustic poison." Today on every publichonse sign the law requires an inscription to this effect : •' Licensed to sell intoxicating [i.e., poisonous] liquors." In 1857 Judge Orampton said : " Publichouses were poison shops. " The Lancet, in a short notice on Drunkards and the Police (April 8, 1871), said ; "Surely

' even a policeman might be made t ) j understand that alcohol is a poison." j In face of su^h valuable and weighty evidence as the foregoing, which migl 0 be eaai'y multiplied a thousandfolc, temperance reformers will surely b '. justified in still " frequently asserting on temperance platforms that alcohol ia a poison " as popukily understood. T. Kkbshaw.