TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13631, 28 June 1906, Page 2

TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

THE VERDICT OF TWO FAMOUS

WRESTLERS.

Just before they wrestled for the championship of tho world in the wrestlingarena a representative of the Daily Mail waited upon George S. Ilaekensclnniilfc and Ahmed Madrali to ascertain their methods of training and oilier interesting mat tilts. On oiif point the,so world champions were absolutely agreed—viz.,. that in order to attain the highest condition and strength complete abstinence from alcoholic drinks was absolutely necessary. The men spoke on this point as follow: — CiEonGE S. llackknschmidt (tho Russian Bear). I am convinced that it is not advisable in the search for health and strength to lay down too strict limitations m the matter of diet. Thus, it is well "to eat what tempts the appetite, for a meat that is distasteful rarely has a beneficial effect. But, as regards drink, there is one law of the " Medes and Persians order" which must, on no account be broken—never drink spirits. Alcohol from the standpoint of strength is the germ of death. Ahmed Madrali (the Terrible Turk). Personally I eat plenty of meat, bread, and rice. Not a very pretentious menu, and one apt to grow irksome, perhaps, you will say; but I would rather sacrifice an elaborate menu and be healthy than oat and drink mysterious dishes and drink wines and spirits. Good health is, I thinl;, Nature's greatest gift, and you can become strong and healthy if you will bear in mind these few rules. Firstly, cat plain food and avoid alcoholic liquors, etc. That this plain living was bencficial to health and condition is plain from the following description of the lpou when they stripped:—"Both men looked in the pink of condition. Their skins glistened with a satiny sheen which showed their perfect, physical fitness. Ilackenschmidt was obviously the more powerful of the two. His muscles rose in immense swelling folds on arms, shoulders, chest, and legs."— Auckland Star, Juno 16, 1906. A DEMOCRATIC GERMANY. In the first number of La Revuo E. Ro.vboj has a study of tlio democratio evolution of Germany. The writor notes that, in the year 1905 a wave of unrest and reform lias passed over most European States, but Germany alone has not seemed to stir. He give's various reasons for tlio apparont passiveliess of the German people, suggesting that they may not have becomo sufficiently discontented to move, or that their patience is not yet quite exhausted. Beer and alcohol, the writer thinks, have probably had much to do with keeping the people loyal. Not that they are habitual drunkards, but that tlio daily drinking causes lethargy of mind and body.—Australian Review of Reviews. June. 1906. Germany (says the Medical Brief) is reported to have the highest death rat<3 of any nation. This is generally attributed to tho largo consumption of beer by the Teutonic race, as all heavy drinkers of this bovorago must absorb an injurious amount of salicylic acid—the latter being used in tlio manufacture of beer to prevent fermentation.—Druggets' Circular, 1905. Sneaking at a meeting one .Saturday lately, Mr .J. Hodge, M.P., one of tho lately-elected members urged the necessity of personal temperance strongly upon the workers, and said: "Already a Temperance Fellowship in tho House of Commons had been formed, and the proposal was to open membership to every trade union official in the country." ALCOHOL AS A MEDICINE. It is not overstatine the matter, thinks tlio. Hospital (London), to say that our grandfathers, |ay and medical alike, regarded alcoliol, especially in the form of spirit, as tho prime resource in eases of severe illness or injury. Even to-day tho majority of householders look upon tlio brandy bottle as a fetish to charm away disease and death. T|iis idea, the journal just quoted, characterises as a "monstrous superstition," which, it savs, is slowly and reluctantly, hut none the less surely, yielding in tho light of modern scientific knowledge. Tho writer goes on: "Yesterday we weie taught that shock was to be counteracted by large doses of brandy; to-day those who havo studied the problem most carefully in tlio laboratory and Ijv tho sickbed. nnd who aro entitled to direct professional opinion on the matter, inform us that to administer alcohol to the individual suffering from shock is to increase tho danger to his life." Tiik Effect in Ttpiioid. Thirty years ago the leaders of professional opinion in this country thought it was iniquitous to withhold alcohol from patients suffering from typhoid fever. " Now," as wo learn* from a paper written Tiy Dr Dawson Burns for presentation to the International Congress Against Alcoholism, "the London Temncranco Hospital realilo to show .for a period of 33 vears a mortality of only 14.4 per cent in all eases of typhoid fever treated in the hfifjpjtaj, the mortality for the last 10 years being only 12,27 per cent." "The mortality among cases tteated in the Metropolitan Asvlums Board hospitals during the year 1901 was 14.58 per cent." These latter were treated in the ordinary way with no restriction as to tlio use of alcohol other than the discretion of tlio doctors attending the cases —Life, April, 1906.

I)r Sirris Woodhead lately deplarcd at a lecture to tho National Health Society, of which Sir Frederick Treves is chairman: "Tuberculous patients were at one tinw ordered bv physicians to take alcohol, but. it was now p'roved that alcohol aeoelerated l.lio spread of tuberculosis. It qlso weakened the body's defences against all diseases, and in moat eases increased tho latter." " EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL UPON TIIE HUMAN SYSTEM/' A Catholic Pdbmcatiox. We have received, per favour of Mr W. L. Bowditch, M.A.. a pamphlet with the above title, published in Adelaide, and sold by Mr \V. P. Linehan, Little Collins street, Melbourne. The author is the Bev. N. IT. J.ouwyck. a priest of tho Calholic Church, now serving in South Australia. The preface is valuable, as it brings together resolutions and other declarations whicl) have, here had only the fleeting existence afforded by newspaper publication, and gives them tho permanent form to which their value entitles tliem. These include t.lie resolutions adopted at the great Calholic Congress held in Melbourne during 1904, urging " the systematic instruction of the young in the truths which science reveals as to the deleterious effects of alcohol on the human body," and "the hearty moral support of all men of goodwill to the temperance cause." for legislative action, and the reformation of " the foolish drinking customs of the day." These resolutions authorise the officials of the Church to go the whole length of abstinence advocacy, and this is just what the author does. He is dearly a scientist, and confines himself to the compnshion of intoxicating liquors, and their effects upon the human system. He shows lliat alcohol contains no nitrogen, and is therefore not a. food or a waste repairer. He also shows that intoxicating lirmors, in addition to containing alcohol, which is a poison, are frequently adulterated with other poisonous substances. ITb declares that alcohol has a deleterious effect, upon nearly all the organs of the body, and traces the evil consequences of alcoholism in many diseases of the kidneys, liver, stomach, heart, brain, and nerves. Not only does alcohol lead to lunacy in the case of many who drink it, but. taken bv the parent, it is liable to produce lunacy in the child. Exposing the fallacy that strong drink gives strength, lie quotes the testimony of champion cyclists that alcohol "cut their legs." He explains tho action of excessive beer-drinking in sometimes producing fulness of body by cheeking the elimination of waste products. Tho beer drinker may apnear fat. or " blov:n-UD." but it is with dead and diseased matter, and rot healthy tissue. The namnhlpt is a valuable one, and ils wide circulation, especially amongst thoughtful neople. would ilo much good. We note with <rreat satisfaction the statement of the author, who is a. native of Belgium, that nlaoanls similar 'o that issued bv the Pnuthwark Borough Council, on "Phvsical Deterioration and Alcoholism." are distributed all oyer Belgium.—Alliance Rceord.