The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, MARCH 18, 1925. ALCOHOL—A MEDICINE?

White Ribbon, Volume 30, Issue 356, 18 March 1925, Page 7

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, MARCH 18, 1925. ALCOHOL—A MEDICINE?

There are quite a number of people who have given up the use of alcohol as a beverage, who are yet convinced that it is of value as a medicine. Rut whatever the lay mind may think the professional mind is quite of the opinion that alcohol is useless as a medicine. The Liquor Control Committee in England (pronounced by Dr. Saleeby as the most authora-

tative scientific committee ever appointed for the purpose) unanimously reported against alcohol as either a tonic or a stimulant.

America’s leading physicians signed a protest against the ruling of the Attorney General that beer might be sold for medicinal purposes. In it occur these sentences “Malt liquors have never been listed in the U.S.A. pharmacopoeia as official medicinal remedies. They serve no medical purpose, which cannot be satisfactorily met in other ways, and that without the danger of cultivating the beverage use of an alcoholic liquor.’’ The Harrisbury Academy of medicine unanimously adopted a resolution that beer is not a medicine now, and never was. We give below weighty testimony from both British and American professionals of high standing:

“Let there be no mistake about the voice of medical practitioners or authorities on this matter. It is on the side of temperance of extreme temperance;—anything else is risky.”—The Lancet. “If by any miracle England was made sober, the average life of the people would be increased one-third.” —Sir R. W. Richardson, M.D.

“I am speaking solemnly and carefully when I tell you that I am considerably within the mark when I say that, in going the rounds of my hospital wards to-day, 7 out of every 10 cases there owed their ill health to alcohol”—Sir Andrew Clark.

Reports of Lunacy Commission for England and Wales for 23 years preceding the war, show that there were over 76,000 admissions to asylums of drink-caustd insanity; an average of over 3300 per annum. “It is certain that for every man (or woman), in whom excessive drinking causes absolute insanity, there are 20 in whom it injures the brain, blunts the moral sense, and lessens the capacity for work in lesser degrees.”—Sir Thomas Clouston, Lunacy Expert. “Alcohol as a tonic, a stimulant, or a food, has no scientific basis, and its use as a therapeutic agent should be discouraged.”—American Med. Assn.

“Alcohol is a depressant first, last all the time; that is, not even a primary stimulant. There are better tonics than alcohol; why use some-

thing about which there is so much doubt?” —N. S. Ferris, Washington, I).C. U.S.A. DR's. OITNIONS. "Alcohol produces fatty degeneration of the heart, lienee cannot be a food to the heart-muscle.” “Alcohol lias no place in the treatment of the sick.” “Alcoholic liquors are rarely used as medicine except by foreigners and some of the I)rs. in high service.” “Non-alcoholic treatment of pneumonia saves lives.” “Alcohol is passing as a popular remedy.” “Alcohol is rapidly going out of use as a medicine.” “As a medicine alcohol has been a failure.” “I ha e seen a patient killed by whisky given to him by a friend in a case of Bright’s disease. I seldom hear of liquor being ordered by physicians nowadays.”— Pres. County Med. Assn., New Jersey. “If alcohol users nearly all die when attacked by pneumonia, as is the case, why use alcohol in trying to cure this disease."

“Increased vitality is necessary to resist infection. Alcohol lower* vitality. You cannot free the system of disease bv cloging It as alcohol will.”

“In pneumonia the use of alcohol adds a poison to a system already poisoned by the disease.” “Alcohol is useless and harmful In pneumonia. I have not used alcohol in typhoid or pneumonia for 25 years.” “The world would be infinitely better off if there were no alcoholic liquor in it.” “I believe that alcohol has no important uses in medicine, and I should rejoice to see prohibition come.”—Prof, of Med.. Havard.