ALCOHOLOGY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 308, 23 May 1911, Page 6

ALCOHOLOGY.

TURNING THE TABLES. (Published by arrangement.) In the early days of the temperance reform the reformers condemned spirit drinking, and the pledge at first was' against that habit only; allowing beer and wine. They had an idea that perhaps there was some nutritive value in beer. Then they advanced to the totu. abstinence pledge, with, in many cases, the commendable thought that they could deny themselves some measure of harmless pleasure and even benefit. But "knowledge grew from more to more," until they found that there was no good ■—and not that only but actual harmderived even from beer drinking; so that now the position is that the teetotaller says that there is no benefit, but an amount of injury'in proportion to the amount consumed, and also great risk in adopting the drink habit. What now is the point at issue?

BOTH SIDES ARE AGREED that drunkenness—drinking too muchis a great evil. The brewer says he hates the drunkard; and the moderate man says, "Why not do as I do; take a litte and stop at that?" But in addition to this the brewer tries to make out that his production is of some benefit to the drinker. Hen; we join issue. We have overwhelming evidence of the harm beer-drinking does, and none that it does good: so the tables are turned. It remains for the brewer to prove his case: that beer does gond to compensate for the harm that excess does. Where is the evidence? A beer-seller who uses u BRITISH TRADE MARK,

says his liquor is "the most palatable form oE liquid food for everybody, and especially for nursing mothers'." That is just his advertised statement. Can he get any proof of all that? What is put into the beer? It takes about 3'/,ll> of barley to make a gallon of beer~ and the solid matter in a gallon of beer amounts to about half a pound, of which only a part can be called nutritious—the rest is water and alcohol. But other things besides barley are used. The evidence before tile committee en beer materials (England 1809) showed that about 30 substitutes for malt are used, about five substitutes for hops, and about IS different coloring and clarifying materials. With all this added to the remains of the malt, where is the "food?" Professor Hellenius. in his workon alcohol, shows that in brick-making, near London, where the work was piecework, that the teetotallers, taking the year's output, beat the drinkers, both in individual cases and in companies. Further, in the copper mines at Knockmahon, where 1000 persons were employed, that when 800 of them took the pledge the value of the work done was increased by £SOOO per annum, besides the saving to the employees of £OOOO previously spent in drink. OF GERIIAX BEER. -Max firuber. M.D.. of Munich, where they make the best German beer, says: 'lt is just this precious beer which lowers among thousands and thousands intellectual capacity and will power, and makes them old before their time; ruins stomachs, liver, heart, and brain; a nn bring-, them into the poor-house and prison, hospital and asylum, and early puts them under the earth."

If thou 1.00 - i* no good for workers however pan it bo so jtood for nursing mothers. Any who roallv want to know almut boor should read "Alcohol and the Unman Uody/' l,y Horsier and standard work on the subject, and more to bo robed on. at any rate, than a brewer s advertisement.