Temperance Notes

Southland Times, Issue 10201, 5 July 1889, Page 3

Temperance Notes

+ (Jpserttd by arrangement with the Southland Branch of the Woman's Christi&n Temperance Union.) DOCTORS ON DRINKING BEBR Ten phyaicians were recently interviewed on the effects of beer drinking. Tfcis is some of the testimony: — lln surgical operations every physician dreads to have anything to do. with beer drinkers. liii dangerous for a beer?iiinker to even cat bi« finger.' •It kills quicker than any other I'quor. Pneumonia, pleurisy, fever, etc., have the first mortgage on the. beer drinker.' •Hods contained in the beer produce coni gestion in the liver, dyspepsia, and kindred > disease*. Habit uil beer drinkers seem to . have no constitutional power to resist ': &««•• :■■..■■■.-■

'Every part of the body of a confirmed beer drinker becomes loaded down with mo'biii'and poisonous matter, and every part will soon fall into ruin and decay,' •There is no more fruitful source of Bright'a Disease than beer drinkiug. The evil effects are. not confined to the consumers of the beverage, but are transmitted to their offspring.' • From Holland and Germany large con* sjgnments of spirit obtained from grain, potatos, beet or any refuse from whioh alcohol can be distUled, are sent into Cognate. Thii new fiery lquoris doctored, watered coloured put into bottles or ca»ke, branded * Cognac ' and is leceived *s such all over the world. This is ihe stuff Knxlish publcsn* vendsometimes pouring it ont of old bottles bearing a well-known l»bel to deceive their customers. Tn fine, it is this decoction that is generally drunk in this country under the name of cognac. 1 The Medical Begicter explains the reason why habitual drinkers get fat. It is because tbe alcohol prevent* tha removal of carbonic acid in respiration, the blood being unable to carry an overload of fatty matter deposits it in tbe different tissues. By the fattening process the body loses some vital nourishment and there is an increase of both nervous and muscular weakness. Drs. Bichardaon and

Ridge have proved by experiments that alcohol injures the, senses. A row of figures placed on a wall, distances ray, of 10ft., 20ft , and 25ft,, from a person who was a life abstainer would be discerned by him very plainly. If however, a small quantity of alcohol with water was given him to drink slowly lie might discern the figures at 10ft. but at 20ft,, they would be obscured, the beautiful power of adjusting the eye and focussing it at that distance having been injured. Po also with the sense of hearing the effect of a moderate dose being to make it less keen. The delicate touch and firm balance were lost through the effect of these small quantities of alcohol.