The Influence of Alcohol upon Children

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 72, 6 December 1892, Page 4

The Influence of Alcohol upon Children

Professer Demme, ot Berne, at the recent International Alcohol Congress at Christiania, presented a interesting report of an investigation which he had made as to the influence of alcohol upon children. Having unusual opportunities for this study from his position as superintendent of a hospital for children, he selected two groups of 10 families each, under aimilar external environment One group of 57 was manifestly affected more or less by alcohol ; the other of 61 was unaffected, or at least very little affected. Of the 57 who exhibited the effects of alcoholism, 20 had inebriate lathers, the mothers and grand-parents being moderate drinkers. Only 45 per cent, of these (nine) had healthy constitutions ; 31 had inebriate fathers and grandfathers, but temperate mothers and ' grandmothers. Only two of these, ■.. or a little over 6 per cent were healthy. Six children bad parents and grandparents intemperate; one of the survivor* was a sufferer from epileptic seizures. In remarkable contrast is the state of the 61 children belonging to temperate families, 82 per cent, of whom enjoy good health, three have died, and eight are , in bad health. Professor Den me also reported the results of an experiment on several children, from whom intoxicants were kept during eight months, !and to whom the usual allowance of wine and water was given duVing the remaining four; months of tjie year. These children were reported to nave slept more s'ouiidly and longer, and to have appeared in better spirits and more active, during the non-alcoholic eight months than during the alcoholic four months.