DOCTORS AND ALCOHOL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1006, 17 June 1909, Page 22

DOCTORS AND ALCOHOL.

Sir Victor Horsley’s declaration that the use of alcohol, even in small quantities, is injurious, continues to be the subject of correspondence. Sir Victor declared that a manifesto signed by a number of eminent medical men, and setting forth a contrary opinion, which was published in the "Lancet” two years ago, was a

"bogus” manifesta, "got up by a non-medical writer with predilections in favour of the liquor trade.” Sir William Bennett, who was one of the signatories to the manifesto, now writes declaring that he has not, and never had, any interest in the drink trade. Moreover, "A Moderate Drinker ” recently wrote to the “ Times,” stating that he had been advised by the late Sir Andrew Clark, an authority much quoted on temperance platforms, to drink wine at luncheon as well as at dinner, and Mr. A. W. Marshall writes to the same journal stating that he, too, was ordered alcohol by the late Sir Andrew Clark. He says:—“ May I be permitted to say through your columns that, consulting Sir Andrew, he prescribed for me, amongst other matters, 2oz. of brandy daily with dinner, and on my remarking that I should be quite satisfied to dispense with the brandy, as I did not care two straws whether I drank any stimulant during the day or not, Sir Andrew replied, ‘My dear sir, it is essential that you do as I suggest; ail patients cannot be treated upon the same lines, and, though doubtless some would be well without alcohol, such is not the case with some others, including yourself.’ ”