Concerning Alcohol.

White Ribbon, Volume 10, Issue 118, 15 March 1905, Page 10

Concerning Alcohol.

Danish Doctors’ Appeal. The Danisli physicians have formed a Total Abstinence Society, and they have caused the following remarkable warning to i>e posted at all railway stations in Denmark : “To the Danish people. —Alcohol is a stupefying poison. Alcohol is the cause of many mental diseases, and of most of the crimes. Every seventh man in Denmark dies of drink. Never give children alcoholic liquors. Alcoholism breeds tuberculosis and sexual diseases. In the struggle for temperance, abstinence is the safest weapon. Abstinence never injured a the thought of him who never drank man. Sure is the hand and clear is spirits. If you wish to make your people happy, increase its prosperity, build up its homes, advance the interests of your country, and make the race sound in body and mind, become a total abstainer.”

A Medical Officer’s Awful Report.—The Medical Officer of Health for Birmingham, in a report dealing with the Eloodgate-street area of that city—t Vie area which Mr Arthur Chamberlain declared was over-provided with public-houses-states that the deathrate in some parts ol the district reached the remarkable figure of 63.5 per 1000, and in the healthiest part the rate was 21.8 per 1000. One out of every five deaths in the area occurred in the workhouse. A large number of men and women in the locality, he declares, “ soak themselves with drink day after day.” T his has a public healtli aspect of the greatest importance. He recommends that the present facilities for “ soaking in public-houses” should be limited. So impressed were the magistrates with this report, that they referred it to the Public Health Committee of the Corporation for special consideration.

Japanese Generals & Abstinence. —lt has now been well-established by

xperience in the British Army that strong drink is no friend to the soldier, either on or off the battlefield. Intoxicants may evoke a sort of “ Dutch courage” before the enemy, but for endurance and coolheadedness when

facing the enemy the good soldier must avoid stimulants. This fact is strongly relieved in by General Kuroki, the famous Japanese soldier, for his own men now at the The general is a firm abstainer, and we are told he has “a pretty wit.” It appears that whenever an officer calls on him at his tent and asks him to “ take a drink,” he smilingly declines, and offers in return a bottle of acid drops, from which the visitor may take what he wants to satisfy thirst. It should be well-known, moreover, that General Stoessel thought it well to prohioit the use of all intoxicating liquors during the siege at Port Arthur. In their place it is said he provided his troops with two concerts each day.—English White Ribbon.