the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第50部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


new　force。　The　heart　action　normally　is　the　result　of　arterial　pressure
and　nervous　action；　two　forces　mutually　balancing　each　other。　The
nervous　action　is　diminished　by　the　introduction　of　the　alcohol；　this
destroys　the　balance　and　deranges　the　arterial　pressure。　Dr。　James
Edmunds；　a　great　English　physician；　years　ago　said：　〃When　we　see　a
man　breathing　with　great　vigor；　does　it　occur　to　us　that　he　must　be　in
good　health？　Is　it　an　indication　that　he　gets　more　air？　We　all　know
better。　It　simply　shows　that　he　has　asthma　or　some　such　disease；　and
that　his　breathing　is　strained　and　imperfect。　He　is　making　use　of　less
air　than　the　person　who　breathes　quietly。　This　is　the　case　with　the　blood；
work；　so　it　plunges　and　struggles　in　the　effort。　And　the　cause　of　both
cases　is　the　same。　There　is　more　carbonic　acid　in　the　blood　than　either
the　heart　or　the　lungs　can　handle。　If　for　example　I　were　suffering　from
general　debility　and　milk　were　the　food　best　suited　to　my　needs；　and　if　I
should　discover　a　tramp　in　my　apartments　drinking　of　my　already　too
limited　supply；　would　it　be　reasonable　to　assert　that　the　exhibition　of
strength　which　I　made　in　forcing　him　to　desist　is　an　indication　that　the
entrance　of　the　vagrant　bettered　my　enfeebled　condition？　The　greater
activity　of　the　heart　is　not　due　to　the　added　strength　resulting　from
recruits　of　friends　but　to　a　desperate　struggle　to　beat　back　a　reinforced
enemy。〃

That　alcohol　does　not　allay　pain　had　been　established　when　this　committee
was　organized。　The　only　proper　method　of　allaying　pain　is　to
remedy　the　disorder　which　produced　it。　It　is　no　remedy　to　deaden　the
nerves　so　that　we　cannot　feel　it。　This　reasoning　had　been　found　good
in　the　case　of　alcohol　as　a　remedy　in　〃colds。〃　Whiskey　does　not　relieve
the　uneasiness　and　oppression　we　experience　when　ailing　from　a　cold；
it　only　benumbs　the　nerves　so　we　do　not　feel　the　trouble。　The　cure　is
not　hastened　but　delayed　in　this　way。

　　　　　　　　　　IS　IT　THE　CAUSE　OF　DISEASE？

Besides　the　fact　that　alcohol　had；　before　this　committee's　existence；
been　proved　to　be　neither　a　drink　nor　a　food　nor　a　medicine；　it　had　also
been　shown　to　be　the　cause　of　disease。　Over　five　thousand　of　the　most
prominent　physicians　in　this　country　had　so　stated　it；　and　the　proportion
was　equally　great　in　all　the　enlightened　countries　of　Europe。　The　most
pronounced　in　this　way；　perhaps；　have　been　the　great　leaders　in　medical
science　in　Austria；　Germany　and　France。　Some　of　the　points　made
against　the　use　of　alcohol　were　that　it　interferes　with　digestion　by　rendering
insoluble　the　active　principle　of　the　gastric　juice；　and　especially　by
preventing　the　solution　of　body…building　foods。　The　natural　action　of
various　organs　of　the　body　is　more　or　less　arrested　by　alcohol；　thus　reducing
the　temperature。　This　from　Dr。　Edmunds　already　quoted：　〃The
blood　carries　certain　earthy　matters　in　it　in　a　soluble　state；　these　earthy
matters　being　necessary　for　the　nutrition　of　the　bones　and　other　parts　of
the　body。　You　all　know　that　when　wine　is　fermented　and　turned　from
a　weak　sweet　wine　into　a　strong　alcoholic　wine；　you　get　what　is　called
a　'crust'　formed　on　the　inside　of　the　bottle。　What　is　that　crust？　That
crust　consists　of　saline　or　earthy　matters　which　were　soluble　in　the
saccharine　grape　juice；　but　which　are　insoluble　in　the　alcoholic　fluids。
We　find　in　drunkards　that　the　blood　vessels　get　into　the　same　state　as
the　wine　bottles　from　the　deposit　of　earthy　matter　which　has　no　business
to　be　deposited；　and　forms　the　'beeswing'　or　crust　in　the　blood　vessels
of　the　drunkard；　in　his　eye　and　in　all　of　the　tissues　of　the　body。〃　Alcohol
had　been　found　to　prevent　the　elimination　of　waste；　thus　the　body　is
loaded　with　worn　and　decaying　tissues；　leaving　the　system　an　inviting
field　for　all　sorts　of　diseases。　Life　insurance　companies；　influenced　by
business　interests　wholly；　make　a　distinction　between　liquor　users　and
non…users。　Nelson；　a　distinguished　actuary　of　England；　employed　as　an
expert　by　life　insurance　companies；　found　after　investigating　over　7；000
cases；　none　of　which　were　drunkards；　that　between　the　ages　of　15　and
20　the　proportion　of　deaths　in　total　abstainers　to　those　in　moderate　drinkers
is　as　10　to　18；　between　the　ages　of　25　and　30；　as　10　to　31；　between
30　and　40　as　10　is　to　40。

With　reference　to　the　effect　on　the　offspring　of　drinking　parents；　the
medical　profession　had　accepted　the　teaching　of　the　French　specialist；　Dr。
Jaccound；　that　〃of　the　children　of　drinkers　some　of　them　become　imbeciles
and　idiots；　others　are　feeble　in　mind；　exhibit　moral　perversion；　and　sink
by　degrees　into　complete　degeneration；　still　others　are　epileptics；　deaf
and　dumb；　scrofulous；　etc。；〃　and　of　the　English　teacher；　Dr。　Kerr；　that
〃long　continued　habitual　indulgence　in　intoxicating　drink　to　an　extent　far
short　of　intoxication　is　not　only　sufficient　to　originate　and　hand　down　a
morbid　tendency；　but　is　much　more　likely　to　do　so　than　even　repeated
drunken　outbreaks　with　intervals　of　sobriety　between。〃

Thus　the　men　who　have　been　of　the　greatest　honor　to　the　profession
in　every　land　were　a　unit　in　opposing　the　use　of　alcohol　in　health　or
disease　and　in　holding　that　if　people　are　determined　to　use　it　there　is　less
danger　in　health；　as　then　the　system　is　in　better　condition　to　throw　off
its　evil　effects。



　　　　　　　　　　PROGRESS　DURING　THE　PAST　YEAR。

Now　as　to　the　progress　made　during　the　past　year。　In　June；　1901；
the　American　Medical　Association　met　in　St。　Paul。　The　branch　of　it
giving　special　study　to　the　temperance　question　held　several　sessions；
about　one　hundred　of　the　most　distinguished　physicians　in　the　country
attending。　Much　time　was　given　to　considering　Dr。　Atwater's　teaching
to　the　effect　that　he　had　proved　alcohol　to　be　a　food。　During　the　previous
year　he　had　published　the　details　of　his　experiments；　and　at　the　convention
it　was　shown　that　his　own　experiments　upset　his　conclusions。　It
had　been　held　that　except　in　rare　instances　alcohol　taken　into　the　system
passed　away　from　it　as　alcohol　without　change。　Dr。　Atwater's　experiments
strengthened　somewhat　the　position　of　those　who　held　that　change
is　not　infrequent；　but　he　concluded　that　the　portion　broken　up　while　in　the
body　served　as　a　food。　A　closer　examination　of　his　own　experiments
showed　that　the　portion　oxidized　had　gone　to　form　other　compounds　in
the　system　which　were　possibly　more　harmful　than　if　it　had　all　passed
off　unchanged。　Dr。　Max　Kassowitz；　professor　in　the　University　of　Vienna；
said；　after　Dr。　Atwater's　statement　had　been　published：　〃For　the　animal
and　human　organism；　alcohol　is　not　both　a　food　and　a　poison；　but　a
poison　only；　which　like　other　poisons　is　an　irritant　when　taken　in　small
doses　while　in　larger　ones　it　produces　paralysis。〃　In　connection　with
the　fact　that　alcohol　is　simply　a　poison；　it　may　be　worth　stating；　that　the
original　meaning　of　the　word　〃intoxicated〃　was　〃poisoned。〃　After　reading
Dr。　Atwater；　the　Russian　Commission　for　the　study　of　alcoholism；
after　two　years'　work；　said：　〃The　claim　that　alcohol　is　a　food　in　any
proper　sense　of　the　term　is　not　sufficiently　proved。〃　In　the　St。　Paul
convention　spoken　of；　politics　obtained　a　foothold；　and　some　weak　resolutions
in　favor　of　the　army　canteen　were　adopted　but　not　even　the　champions
of　the　canteen　were　willing　to　subscribe　to　the　statement　that　alcohol　is
ever　a　real　food。

Just　previous　to　our　last　convention　much　noise　was　made　through
the　daily　press　concerning　a　finding　of　some　English　scientist　to　the　effect
that　an　acquired　tendency　cannot　be　transmitted　to　offspring。　We　were
told　that　this　would　upset　the　theory　that　children　inherit　a　craving　for
intoxicants　from　intemperate　parents；　and　〃the　moralists　and　reformers
would　have　to　readjust　this　logic　on　these　points。〃　In　the　annual　report
of　the　president　of　the　Union　a　year　ago；　attention　was　drawn　to　the　fact
that　those　who　indulge　in　this　sort　of　sophistry　have　not　read　what　the
teachings　of　temperance　workers　have　been　on　the　subject。　Such　was　not
the　opinion　of　the　scientists　making　the　report；　for　it　says　〃Children　of
drunkards　are　liable　to　be　mentally　and　physically　weak　and　tend　to
become　paupers；　criminals；　epileptics　and　drunkards。〃　It　will　be　seen
from　what　has　been　said　that　this　is　the　position　we　have　held　all　along。
Dr。　Davis；　the　dean　of　American　physicians　opposing　the　use　of　alcohol；
has　published　during　the　year　a　number　of　articles　showing　the　impossibility
of　alcohol's　being　of　service　as　a　medicine；　and　has　dwelt　especially
upon　its　harmful　effects　in　fevers；　diseases　in　which　it　is　still　much
prescribed。　The　two　influential　temperance　societies　composed　of　American
physicians　have；　during　the　past　year；　kept　up　the　agitation　against
alcohol　as　a　medicine；　and　good　is　coming　from　it；　as　gradually　medical
journals　are　giving　more　and　more　space　to　the　question。　The　following
international　manifesto　has　been　issued　by　the　leading　physicians　of　the
world：


　　　　　　　　　　INTERNATIONAL　MEDICAL　MANIFESTO。

〃The　following　statement　has　been　agreed　upon　by　the　Council　of
the　British　Medical　Temperance　Association；　the　American　Medical　Temperance
Association；　the　Society　of　Medical　Abstainers　in　Germany；　the
leading　physicians　in　England　and　on　the　continent。　The　purpose　of　this
is　to　have　a　general　agreement　of　opinions　of　all　prominent　physicians
in　civilized　countries　concerning　the　dangers　from　alcohol；　and　in　this
way　give　support　to　the　efforts　made　to　check　and　prevent　the　evils　from
this　source。

In　view　of　the　terrible　evils　which　have　resulted　from　the　consumption
of　alcohol；　evils　which　in　many　parts　of　the　world　are　rapidly　increasing；
we；　members　of　the　medical　profession；　feel　it　to　be　our　duty；　as
being　in　some　sense　the　guardians　of　the　public　health；　to　speak　plainly
of　the　nature　of　alcohol；　and　of　the　injury　to　the　individual　and　the
danger　to　the　community　which　arise　from　the　prevalent　use　of　intoxicating
liquors　as　beverages。

We　think　that　it　ought　to　be　known　that：

1。　Experiments　have　demonstrated　that　even　a　small　quantity　of
alcoholic　liquor；　either　immediately　or　after　a　short　time；　prevents　perfect
mental　action；　and　interferes　with　the　fu