TEMPERANCE COLUMN

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 15

TEMPERANCE COLUMN

AMERICAN DOCTORS AND ALCOHOL SEVERE CONDEMNATION OF DRINKING. The thirty-ninth annual meeting of the American Society for the Study of Alcohol and Other Narcotics, held at Atlantic City on June 7 and 8, indicated a tremendous advance among medical men in their interest in the alcoholic problem. Of the 22 papers on the programme, 16 were read by the authors. Each one was a startling contribution, to the subject. The address by Dr Mason attracted a great deal of attention, and the figures and statistical studies of Dr T. A. MacNicholl, of New York, provoked sharp denials. He declared that in some schools in the lower part of the city, where the children were mostly foreigners, 70 per cent, were made stupid by bear and other drugs. This provoked inquiry in New York, and examinations are to be made. Dr Kfess'e paper on grain and fruits as a diet to prevent drinking was a new j phase of the subject, which attracted a i great deal of attention. . Dr' Crothers's paper on "Tuberculosis and Inebriety" showed a very close relation between the two diseases. Every paper read was a tremendous argument for prohibition, although that word did not appear. The discussions which followied showed that the conviction that alcohol is one of the dangerous remedies and drugs is growing rapidly among the profession everywhere. Increased studies of tfie causes of disease show that alcohol is a very prominent factor in every form of disease, both as active and contributing causes. The temperance lunch which followed was addressed by Sir James Grant, of Toronto, Professor Wilson, of the same city, Drs Marcy, Mason, Benton, Crothers, and others, and was a most enthusiastic meeting of physicians who are Poetical prohibitionists in their work. The American Medical Association which met at the same time, 'showed startling evidence of the effects of the alcoholic movement in the banquets and dinmers that were given without alcohol in any form. + i, I^V- X ' P J resid f I ! ts of « the association and their friends celebrated their dinner without spirits for the first time in their history, and other associations showed a marked change in public sentiment. -SCIENCE STRENGTHENS ABSTINENCE ARGUMENT Another very signficant hint was the attention given by the public press to the Society for the Study of Alcohol and its proceedings. All the daily papers in the neighbourhood noted what it S aio\ giving it equal prominence to that of other medical papers. Another significant fact was the local interest m the churches. A warm invitation was given to the members of the American Society for the Study of Alcohol and Other Narcotics to occupy the pulpits the Sunday before the meeting. This was cheerfully responded to by six physicians, whe spoke both morning and evening in nearly all the churches. Their addresses were purely scientific and practically a statemeut of the facts of science concerning the alcoholic problem. It is very evident that the Society for the Study of Alcohol and Other Narcotics is doing a great work in bringing into prominence the facts and teaching the profession and public the truths concerning alcohol. The old officers of the society were reelected, and two invitations were received from different cities to hold semiannual meetings of this society in the future. THIRTEEN STATE CAPITALS " DRY." Charleston, the capital city of West Virginia, as a result of the vote of its City Council of 24 to 14, June 7, will be dry after July 1. Charleston will make j ; the thirteenth State capital now under prohibitory law, the others being Lincoln, Nebraska, Concord, N.H., Mont- , peliet, Vermont^ and the capitals of the , f

I- nine prohibition States. Fifty saloons ,' will close in Charleston. JOHN BURNS ON "THE TAVERN." ' Throughout the centuries the tavern has I been the ante-chamber to the workhouse, i the chapel-of-ease to the asylum, the j recruiting station for the hospital, the I rendezvous of the gambler, and the gatherj ing-ground for the gaol. — John Bubxs, ; M.F., 1i.C.0., in "Labour and. Drink." RUSKIN ON THE DRINK PROBLEM. j " Drunkennes is not only the cause of j crime, it is crime, and the encouragement of drunkenness for the sake of profit on the sale of drink is certainly one of the most ci'iminal methods of assassination for money ever adopted by the bravoes of any age or country."