PORRIDGE VERSUS ALCOHOL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 260, 30 November 1876, Page 4

PORRIDGE VERSUS ALCOHOL.

The new number of the British and Foreign Medico-Chit urgical Jieview contains a judicious temperately written article on the " Use ot Alcohol," in which the following fact ia related, .which partakes very much of the nature

of ah experiment :— ■" In theaummer of 1872, it was necessary to shift the rails qn upwards of 000 mjles of permanent way on the Great Western line from the broad to the narrow gauge, and there was only a fortnight to do it in. The work to be got through was enormous ; for the Great Western is one of the few English lines whose rails are held down by bolts screwed inforiuits. All these had to ba iinscrewed and replaced after moving the heavy rail 2ft. — a very different operation to prising out a spike, shifting a rail a few inches, and hammering in a spike again. About 3000 men were employed, and they worked double time, sometimes, from 4 in the morning till nine at night. Not a soul was sick, sorry, or drunk, and all were ready for a down train due on 20th June. What was the extraordinary support of iris wonderful spurt of muscular energy ? Weak skilly ! To spare every ounce of strength, {he men were hutted along the line, and brought with them, bacon, bread, cheese, & cocoa, to provide their usual meals at usual times, but no beer, spirits, or alooholic drink in any form/ A pound and a half of oatmeal and a half a pound of sugar were allowed to each man daily, and to every gang of 21 a cook was told off. The first thing done in the morning was to breakfast, and then the cook and his cauldron started along the line till water was found convenient, and a fire place of stone wan built and the pot boiled. Oatmeal was then sprinkled into it with sugar and thoroughly weli boiled until their gruel was made. Buckets were filled and carried round with small pannikins to convey it to the thirsty men. They liked it exceedingly, and learned by experience the importance of having it well cooked." Here (observes the Lancet) is a very old and well-known agent, cheap enough and easily procured, capable of imparting "staying" power, better probably than anything else, which is not employed to anything like the extent it might be with advantage.