The German military surgeons, in their official report to the Imperial medical board, bear witness to the superiority of beer over wine. They not only state that the refreshing quality of the carbonic acid gas contained in beer makes it especially grateful to men fatigued by a long march, or exhausted by a day’s fighting, but lay still greater stress on its usefulness in the hospital and ambulance, and say that when it could be obtained it was administered with great success as a cordial, both to the wounded, and to convalescent soldiers placed for the time under their care. They add the interesting fact, that throughout that campaign the wounded invariably evinced a great longing for beer and that when brought into hospital with shattered limbs or severe cuts or gun-shot wounds, their first request was usually for a glass of beer. The same was true after severe operations, and the drink was found to compose and fortify their unstrung nerves. The natural inclination to beer as a restorative was very conspicuous among the soldiers who were on exposed outpost duty during the cold weather at the time of the blockade and siege of Paris. The supply was scanty, and common soldiers did not hesitate to pay army followers a large price for a glass containing only a few mouthfuls of beer. The report of the Director General of the medical staff of the Imperial army is in the same tone, and concludes with a strong recommendation not only to supply the soldiers with rations of beer instead of spirits when employed on active duty, but also to introduce it as the usual beverage of the army in time of peace and when on home service. Professor Moleschott, the distinguished physiologist, in his work on the chemistry of food, treats of beer and makes the following statements: “The weak alcoholic solution called beer contains nearly the same proportion of albumen as is found in fruits, some sugar and gum, and another constituent which is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, is soluble in water and is called the bitter principle of hops. * * * Fermented liquors, particularly lager beer taken in moderation, increase the secretion of the digestive juices and promote the solution of the food, and further, a good lager beer partakes of all the advantages of the alcoholic beverages and at the same time quenches thirst by the large amount of water it contains. Hence lager beer is particularly adapted to satisfy the frequent thirst caused by physical exercise, and it is a laudable custom to refresh artisans who have to work hard, with a glass of this beverage. Its albumen, equal to that of fruit, even supplies a direct substitute for food.”