How Much Can a Man Drink ?

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1922, Page 3

How Much Can a Man Drink ?

SOME CONTRASTS.

In “Men I Have Painted,” by the American artist Mr J. McClure Hamilton (reviewed in “The Daily Mail on Wednesday), it is narrated of Bismarck that:

“H talked of drinking, cf cocktails, and of wines, and told mo that his doctor had said that a. man might drink between the age* of 20 and 70, 50,000 bottles of champagne without offending the laws of health or the strict rulfcs of temperance.

“I may have exceeded that number, perhaps, to say nothing of a few other liquors such as beer and brandy.”

Bismarck gave his name to a wellknown drink.—champagne and stout m»'xed.

The 50,000 bottles of champagne work out roughly at three bottles a day, (writes the “Diner-Out”). How many Englishmen of the present era could o do consume that quantity? And yet our forefather* of not so many years ago were able, many of them", to got through their two or three bottles a {toy of red wine—a heavier drink than cham pagno—without any apparent ill effect. However, we still have our heavy drinkers. Hunting and sporting men who go in for a hard outdoor exercise can put an'flj a lot without n.ny bad results. They work it off. And there are plenty of men who can manage heir two bottles of wine a day, one at lunch and one n* dinno —with perhaps a couple of cock-tails or aperitifs: and a “nightcap” before going to bed.

There is a theory that it does not matter how much you drink at meals. tT is the drinks between meals that hurt. It is also said that mixing is bad. If you stick to ona wine at dinner and after you can take far more and not feel it.

I know men who get through regularly a bottle of whisky or bottle of brandy a day. Tt is their staple drink and they thrive on it. There are young “bloods” who always have a bottle of champagne for breakfast.

The truth seems to be that there is no; hard and fast standard to( be set as to how much a man can drink with impunity. What to one may he moderation to another may he excess. In' de fiance of medical opinion, many heavy drinkers have lived 1 to ripe old age.