In his annual report to the State Board of Health, Dr. Bowditch said, speaking of the question of temperance in connection with the use of light wines and beer, “I fully agree with all that has been said of the value of light wines as an aid to temperance, but I sincerely believe that Germans are destined to be really the greatest benefactors of this country by bringing to us—if we choose to accept the boon—their beer. Lager beer contains less alcohol than any of the native or foreign grape wines. This fact with the other fact that the Germans have not the pernicious habits of our people, would if we chose to adopt their customs tend to diminish intemperance in this country. From the study I have made, lager beer can be used freely without any apparent injury to the individual, or without intoxication, and would be really a promoter of the temperance cause, and if we could so manage as to furnish the people with lager beer and dispense with distilled or alcoholic liquors entirely, the community would be immensely benefited.” And on page 301 in the same report, the Doctor properly said, “Whisky-drinkers are seen staggering through the streets or lying insensible in some corner, wherever this beverage is used. But among the light wine tipplers and beer-drinkers, even when drinking freely, drunkards are very seldom seen.” We have previously shown that in many cases the introduction of beer has added to the welfare of society, and that its use is perfectly consistent with habits of sobriety and temperance. From this we drew the inference that the production should be encouraged and its increase hailed as a sure pledge of improvement in the matters of drunkenness, disorder and crime. The same conclusion was reached by Dr. Bowditch as the result of correspondence conducted with a view to ascertaining fully the actual state of the case at home and abroad. He caused a series of inquiries to be carefully prepared and forwarded to thirty-three resident American ambassadors and to one hundred and thirty-two consuls, also to many other men in private or official positions, whose statements and opinions would be entitled to respect. When the answers were received the unanimity of the opinions expressed was almost startling. _All_ are in favor of beer as a light, wholesome beverage, superior even to the light wines. Following are given a few extracts from the great mass of answers received: A physician in Massachusetts writes, “I should make a distinction between the use of intoxicating liquors and the lighter drinks. What a blessing it would be for the community if we could furnish the people with the best of lager beer and dispense with distilled liquors entirely.”