THE FAMOUS MEDICAL MANIFESTO.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 137, 12 June 1907, Page 5

THE FAMOUS MEDICAL MANIFESTO.

TO THE RDlTOft. . < Sir-,—Reference--'hrar? x lifties been made in the columns of The Express to th.-> recent manifesto signed by 16 doctors in favour of the mode-r----ate usef of alcohol. This production is a remarkable manifesto in niore ways than one. It claims to "represent the opinions of the leading clinical teachers, astwell as of the great majority of medical practitioners," and yet- out of the thctnands of doctors thus referred to, only 16 could be found to have the courage to publish their names! Only •15 hi tact, as the name of one of the doctors was inserted under a misapprehension. Besides this, as shown in an article published in your paper, ■jt'veral' others were induced to sign by misrepresenting the purport and object of the precious document. The paucity of signatures cannot fail to do the cause aimed at by the manifesto nc .••nial] ha ran in the eyes of a discriminating public. The manifesto is remarkable, not only for the paucity of its signatures, but for the .extraordinary 'nature o'i some of its statements. Take this, for example: "As an article of diet we hold that the universal belief of civilised mankind that the moderate use of alcoholic beverages is, for adults, usually, beneficial, is amply justified." Unless the definition of "civilised mankind" limits'such to those who endorse such an opinion, such a statement- is simply a travesty of most obvious facts. - As a matter of fact, there are many millions in the world >to-day, claiming to be fairly civilised, who do not believe that alcohol, even in the most moderate quantities, is of any benefit whatever. Why sir, only a year or two ago no less than 15,000 medical men in Great Britain sigrted a petition to the Government, asking that temperance lessons should be given in the State schools, warning against the dangers attending the use of alcohol. This fact alone shows the utter worthlessness of the manifesto signed by ..the 16 doctors; and its wortnles&ness should^* be1 plain enough to everybody. ,Oii the*value of ..alcohol, as an, article of diet I be-Kiev-e that- the general opinion toHI be that these- 15 medical men are altogether mistaken. The weight of argument and experience is all on the other side. Men use alcohol for the temporary exhilaration it produces, but they less and less believe that it does them any good—in fact most of them will quite frankly admit that it would have been much better for them if they had never learned the habit at all. The notion that people suffer in health through being total abstainers is, I should think, fast becoming a dead superstition. In fact, there is no doubt that the early teetotallers were right in every one of their contentions. They had the almost unanimous opposition of the medical profession to face at first, but gradually they have secured thousands of adherents to their side, including many of the most eminent physicians and surgeons in the Old Land; and I fully believe that in a very few years any such manifesto am the one I am taking^ exception to will'be impossible. Just one question, in conclusion. What good did those who signed the manifesto hope to accomplish by means of it? Do these gentlemen really believe that- people really need any encouragement- to drink alcohol?

WAIRAU ELECTOR