OTHER MATTERS.
(To the Editor.) Sir,—l wish to reply briefly to Mr. Wright's letter in Monday's Daily News, and yet I feel that it is like taking advantage of a correspondent who declares that on the matter we are discussing he has reached "finality." lam very sorry to hear that, and I hope hj« will reconsider that decision. If a man has any U~ht to throw on the important question of drink he ought certainly in the interests of his country, and of humanity, to do his very best to solve a question that is puzzling -the best intellects of Europe and of the world—viz., how to use intoxicating liquors and not to become intoxicated. - Mr. Wright does not approve of absinthe, because it contains arsenic, nor vodka, because it contains vitriol, but lie does approve of a pure spirit (by this, I suppose he means the whisky, etc., that some men drink in this country). Now, if we look into a medical dictionary we find that vitriol, arsenic, and alcohol are all included in the list of poisons: and "the pure Bpirit" desired is only alcohol and water in somewhere about equal proportions: so he prefers one poison to another. That is all. I prefer none. To quote Mr. Wright: "Every commander agrees that men exposed to continuous wet and cold must have alcohol." Now, we should like to know definitely who these commanders are who so agree about the need of alcohol. It is noticeable that defenders and advocates of alcoholic drinks deal in generalities; so they speak of "every commander" hut fail to name even one. On the other side we name a lot, and here are a few: Lord Roberts, Lord Kitchener's own rule during the Soudan campaign, Sir Charleß Grenfell in Egypt, Sir Frederick Treves, Dr. C. F. Wahlberg in the Finnish Army, Count von Haeslar (German), Dr. Parkes of Netley Hospital, England, and last, for the present, Sir Victor Horsley, F.R.C.S., who says: "A man who desires to use his entire force on behalf of himself or his fellow-men can do so Dest and longest by entirely avoiding alcohol." Mr. Wright will perhaps reply, or think,' that I have not considered the needs of alcohol in "continuous wet and cold." Well, the above named authorities are known chiefly in connection with operations in hot countries, though even there the nights are cold; but, here is something from the Boer war! Dr. van Staaten says: "We were often for months under no roof, and in no bed, but no 'stomach warmer' was ever handed out. I asked various physicians their opinions on this point. They are almost universally of the opinion that the wonderful power of endurance of the Boer army ha s in great part been due to their abstinence from spirituous drinks. Men say that brandy makes privation more endurable. No word of that is true." We might refer to Dr. Nansen and other Arctic and Antarctic explorers who unanimously condemn alcohol as a heat-giver. The.subject, sir, is very tempting, but I fear to trespass too far. •' Just a word about "private names into a discussion." I did not introduce private names, Mr. Wright did that: and I do not at all doubt Mr. Oakey's statement of fact as to sickness amongst the. troops, but I do donbt his opinion that "the thing that saves us is the nightly issue of rum": and it was my wish to emphasise the different names lest some one should conclude, that a Taranaki Okey had declared in favor of the rum ration. If Mr. Okey objects then I will apologise through a whole column of your widely-read journal. Ido not say this is finality, unless you s ay so. Truth is not twaddle, and to know the truth about what killed Wm. Monaghan, at Awakino, should be important knowledge for tie community.—l am, etc.. GEO. H. MAUKT/ER, New Plymouth, Oct, 25, 101S,
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Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1915, Page 7
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656OTHER MATTERS. Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1915, Page 7
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