DOES ALCOHOL “KEEP OUT THE COLD?”

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1110, 2 September 1871, Page 2

DOES ALCOHOL “KEEP OUT THE COLD?”

TO THE EDITOR OF THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES. Sir, —In the belief that it will interest many of your readers, I extract the following from a paper entitled " Oinology," in the Cincinnati (Ohio) "Medical" Repertory," by S, R. M'Kinley, M.D. :—" A group of men, twentysix in number, some years ago, travelling over a western plain on a track but dimly visible by day, lost their direction when overtaken by darkness. The weather, xery cold during the afternoon, became more so as night advanced. Though well provided with food, clothing, and an abundance of whisky, they had no wood or other fuel to make a fire. The occurrences of the night are given in the language of the only physician who accompanied the expedition. He was a man of good, strong, hard sense, with quite creditable medical attainments, considering the limiled opportunities he had for securing them, which consisted in reading the domestic practice of Guitu, Ewell, and Thomas. He knew no more than their books could convey ; but, to his credit be it spoken, he knew all they could impart. Pie had only heard of, but had never seen, a medical college. Addressing the men, he said, ' As we can't get wood, boys, w T e must keep warm, or at least alive, through thepowers of Madame Vis Mediicatrix Naturae. She is all right in any weather, if we don't clog her up and pucker her forces. If f got any medical knowledge at all, I am going; to use it to-night, and the first thing I begin with is this. I am as fond of whisky as any man dare be ; but, by the gods, the man that drunk tonight to keep warm' won't sen daylight. When the great God of the uni\erse made man boss workman of the earth* he marie all other things first, and the elements too, not to rule over him and to kill him, but to hunker down to his wants. But, boys, whisky was scored out of the bill of fare. The vis medicatrix naturce is the highest of all other things, and if she ain't splintered up by our own folly, she will ride safe through any storm. We have got to keep stirring round, or huddle up in the si raw of the wagons, as many of us as can cram in together. Each one will keep the other warm. We must all eat as much a> possible, but whisky ain't the thing.' This is what I told them all, but very few minded me. 1 didn't taste a drop, nor did Carter nor Finlay. We then hud led in together on the straw in the bottom of our wagon. We took otl our boots and overcoats, and then got on the straw, and put our blankets over us, and our overcoats on the top of them. We were very cold, but did not suiter or freeze. Clark, Reilly, and Tanner were very cold, and we heai d them yelling nearly all night. Thev suffered very much, but were not frozen. They drank very little whisky, but they took several thin drinks in the run of the night Seven other fellows that drunk, a good deal had their toes and fingers scorched, la\t thoy got over it in a few weeks. JSix of the-boys, that drank pretty strong were badly frozen, and never got over it, and four that got very boozy were frozen so, badly that thoy died three or four weeks afterwards. But Hutchinson, Mvllroy, and MAlpin were stiff dead by daylight. They got dead drunk, and as trey did not make a fuss, the other boys thought the whisky wan keeping oat the cold, so they drank the stronger. I tell you, Sir, they a'l suffered just according as they took in the whisky ; those that got drunk froze dead, those that drank less, but too much, died after a while; those that drank onk moderately will feel it ft*