A MEDICAL REFERENDUM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 18 November 1907, Page 2

A MEDICAL REFERENDUM.

[Published by arrangement.] In common with other parts of the world, New Zealand has of late Liken much more interest than ever before in the scientific aspect of the alcohol question, in "their known sympathy with this general interest the scientific temperance branch of the W.C.T.U. of New Zealand, in May last issued a series of questions to the doctors of this countrv asking their opinions on the use of alcohol in health and disease. The answers returned as to its use in health are what are now to be briefly dealt with. The lirst question was: "Does any benefit to development, to health, or to physical or mental endurance attach in your opinion to the use of alcohol in form by a normally healthy person either during childhood or maturity?" To this question -213 replies have been received up to.the pre,;cnt. and of these ISt say "No!'"mure less emphatically, while only 1.". s„ v "Yes!" with equal emphasis. In reading over the it is noticeable that' where the use of alcoholic beverages is allowed at all it is in all cases said that moderation (generally "strict" moderation) must be observed, and also that the' liquors must b",woJl diluted. The most noteworthy point in tlics'e rallies is that out oT all the doctors of New Zealand—for all were applied to—only 15 have sufficiently strong opinions of the benefit to be derived from the general use of intoxicants that they care'to make their opinions known. The first, of the 15 above, referred to says : "Yes; in strict moderation," and then goes on to say—"So much misery is caused by the abuse of alcohol that it utterly outweighs any benefit that can be derived from it.'" Looked at broadly it is evident that the medical opinion of New Zealand is, like that of Die older countries of the world, steadily giving up all trust in the dietic value of alcohol; and the referendum now under consideration gives practically about 00 per cent of the doctors as saying that to a healthy person alcoholic dtinks are of no benefit.