Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why: What Medical Writers Say — John Shaqi
Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why: What Medical Writers SayAllen, Martha Meir
Science
Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why: What Medical Writers Say
Allen, Martha Meir
Alcohol -- Physiological effect; Temperance
"I find them to be in substantial accord with the results of the
latest scientific investigations."
Dr. Baer, of Berlin, Germany, the foremost European specialist on the
subject treated in these text-books, has recently subjected the books to
rigid examination. He says in his report upon them:--
"On the basis of the examination I have made I can assert that
the above mentioned school text-books, (the endorsed
physiologies), in respect to their statements regarding
alcoholic drinks contain no teachings which are not in harmony
with the attitude of strict science."
Still the opposers of the text-books were not satisfied, and a self
constituted Committee of Fifty undertook an investigation. Men of
unquestioned ability were chosen to make researches, but the result of
their investigations was so different from what was looked for, that,
with the exception of Professor Atwater's contention for the food value
of alcohol, the report of the Committee of Fifty did not stir up much
controversy.
The school text-books deal exclusively with the effects of alcohol used
as a beverage; for obvious reasons this is all they can do. But as
intoxicating drinks have been generally supposed to contain great virtue
as remedial agents, this phase of their nature and effects has not been
overlooked by those pursuing inquiries concerning them. While full
agreement has not yet been reached by experts as to the value of
alcoholic liquids as medicines, it is noteworthy that some of the most
eminent investigators were led to drop alcohol from their
pharmaceutical outfit, and the remainder to admit that its sphere of
usefulness is extremely limited.
There are now medical colleges of high standing where students are
advised against the use of alcohol as a remedy; hospitals are gradually
using it less and less, some entirely discarding it; and many
progressive physicians, while saying nothing as to their position upon
the alcohol question, yet show their lack of faith in this drug by
ignoring it unless patients or their friends desire it.
CHAPTER II.
THE WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION
IN OPPOSITION TO ALCOHOL AS MEDICINE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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