“FOUR SOCIAL POISONS.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2310, 2 August 1921, Page 1

“FOUR SOCIAL POISONS.”

CONDEMNATION OF TEA

Sir James Cantlie, a surgeon of distinction in England, has been delivering a series of public lectures. His latest talk at the Tobacco Traders’ exhibition in London only partly pleased its promoters. Tobacco, he said, was perhaps the least harmful of the four social poisons—alcohol, lea, coffee, and tobacco. He told people if they must smoke, to systematise it —especially women —and “never vary

your quantity of tobacco, and never go to bed for an hour after your last smoke. It’s the bedtime cigarette that is deadly.”

His greater condemnation of alcohol, tea, and coffee has left the Britisher indignant. Alcohol may be poisonous, especially the stuff they are profiteering on nowadays. Coffee, well, possibly just a soupcon,

since few Britishers know how to. make the stuff. But tea —the great national beverage—ve gods, what have they left ;

Then again, the Britisher has taken much unction to his soul because the Americans have rotten teeth. —from eating too much ice '•cream, drinking too much ice water, freezing their digestive processes, fill I now comes Sir James to assure them that'British teeth are rotten —through taking their food too hot. Dyspepsia, he says, is a disgrace to any family, but the only difference between the Americans and the English is that the former admit their dyspepsia and the British deny it.

And again the Britishers’ national

Maims, as fresh air disciples, ‘Pshaw! There has never been any

resit air in this hall for 20 years,”

-norted Sir James, who proceeded fu issure them that they did not know he first thing about proper ventialion.

But perhaps his worst affront t« British susceptibilities was on the subject of female clothes. lie -mid: “The fewer (dollies you wear, the higher your temperature. Those, young women who claim to be insufficient Iy J clad tire not cold; they are hot. We wear too much clothing. Babies are wrapped up too much.” On the whole, Sir James Cantlie is not as popular as he was.