CONSUMPTION AND ALCOHOL

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12844, 29 November 1905, Page 7

CONSUMPTION AND ALCOHOL

It lias become a notorious yet deplorable fact that the ravages of cocsumptioA hiiye become more aggressive in all Englishspeaking communities as- the: teetotal "or prohibition movement lias'become' more intolerant ahd intemperate. In bur great grandfathers time, there were few cases, of consumption, and to-day this-scourge of humanity ; is the most aggressive bacillus the medical profession and the Health Department have to fight. The late Dr Hughes, of Feilding, .a few weeks before he died, read a paper on Consumption," which drew from Dr P. F. Moncktdn, who fully endorses what Dr Hughes .said about the bacillus of consumption attacking us tnrough the breathing apparatus, and in vigorous peop.e failing to get than a footing. Men who never lost aiv opportunity of drinking beer were better able to conquer and throw off attacks of cousunrptioh. than the abstainer. In all. his experience of the men connected with Truman "and Hanbury's Brewery Club, none of whom,, he presumes, were total abstainers, Dr Monckton does not remember one case of consumption among theni. So, he concludes:— "In formulating a diet scale for a consumptive-! generally consider it highlv important to order one glass' of good stout every day. Because of its abuses 110 one but a fool will deny that drink has its uses, and Dr Monckton candid'.v thinks " that it •would be more beneficial to the cause of temperance if the Government of the day would perform a plain duty in stopping poisonous drink being admitted to the Alony than in tinkering with the licensing laws." The point of the paragraph, however, is that- whereas consumption was practically unknown among our alcohol consuming ancestors, . and "little ; known among those who to-day use alcohol without- abusing it, ' the disease is rampant, and never .were greater efforts made to counteract the ravages. A litt"e common sense and diluted alcohol would also be helpful: but, if prohibition or-no license is carried, the consumptive-inclined will be prevented from getting his natural stimulant fresh every day.