MEDICAL MAN AND ATHLETE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 84, 9 April 1919, Page 2

MEDICAL MAN AND ATHLETE

CAN NO LONGER REMAIN , r : SILENT, besponsibhSes as parent AN® MEDICAL MAN, •tt _ Speaking at a huge meeting at the Grand Theatre, Christchurch, on Sunday evening, Dr. A. B. O’Brien, who Was received with applause, said, according to Tho Press, that many of his friends had asked him how ho could support prohibition, especially as he had many good friends engaged in the trade. He Indorsed what Mr Wilding had said regarding the good men to be found amongst, publicans, and it was from no desire to injur© them that he took his present stand.. As a parent, and as a tiiedicul man, he found he Icould no longer remain silent on a. subject that had become so pressing that 'he had to speak Under previous conditions upon which the vote •was taken—local option—fish was made olj one andv-flesh of another—now it was “no-license, no liquor,” and compensation. Dr. O’Brien spoke of the economic waste involved in the drinking habit, arid, turning to the medical point~"oi ’ view, said; that some medical experts held! that “alcohol was not necessary ip medicine, whilst others, equally expeH, held' that it was. pealing, with ,the use of alcohol for influenza, he said that the law made provisioif for supplies of alcohol for sacramental, medicinal, and industrial purposes;, so, tba't' no one would . .go. phort or alcohol if'they werejjl. Alcohol was useful in some cases .of inndfenzaj-lhpse wo6> developed pneumonia, and sh° qajred.alcohol, were theunfortunate aledboiica If % druiikard got'pheumbnia ; hra chances were very bmall tmlets ho woeq primed jwith alcohol.. .ThSto lWere soine';t|»mgß ( tlial were' bettef 'in, treatjis&ise than alcbhql, but were .-not eflK;handy—ttmy,* required to be injecte4*, or steriusedT-so .fhdt it was not rfght ta Say that if deprived of alcohol people ,wer©, ( h©ihg Jeprived of,a, most beneficent, medicine,, ‘ , He cpttitended thife... alcohol was not necessary in Health, and hpoke of the desirableness of protecting-the. from acquiring ihfi. strong dnok. , In hi.r concluding remarlcs Dr; O’Brien said , that they were aware that he was a Catholic, and that Catholics, were entitled to vote as. they wished in this ,matter — (applause)— : sqJong as their, religion was safeguarded, and. it had been safeguarded tb the eafcfactiorj of Bishop Cleaty. of Auckland, to the satisfdfction of many Catholics who had found out tho true position for' themselves. He intended to ijjpte as he wished. (Applause).

THE RETURNED SOLDIER

th. 3. B. who was .received .with applause, said that he desired to put only ;one point before them—that was the -point of view of th® returned soldier,: (Applause). Very few really an idea of what a soldier who had been away and came back bad had to put .pp with; most of them were to.o , modest to say much about their experiences. He described, with considerable detail, the life of the solin tht? trenches—the limited room for'exercise, the constant strain, tho nerver-ra eking experiences ; involved m “going over the top, ’ and the terrible effects of ijxgh explosives, i Some of the men who were returning, he said, had, lived under such conditions for years. Many had " returned shattered in lfody, -and' Some were return ng with leqa .power of;, resistance: to evil thrift, they ■ previously uoieissed When men returned in such .a condition ,whisky was the worsts thing .they ll could have —it was a poison to them.' (Applause). Most of the men were semi-invalids owing to the strain through which they had gone, and civilians could render thorn great assistance by not treating them to strong drink. .As a medical man he believed that if they, were true to themselves and if they were true io the men coming back thy would have no uncertainty as to how they .would vote op*. Thursday. (Applause).*