“It slacks thirst admirably, and as it contains a great deal of water it is perhaps the best of all for that purpose. As an alcoholic drink it is superior to all spirituous liquors. It is the most tonic, the most operative, and the most nourishing. Complete drunkenness is almost impossible with ordinary beer, whatever quantity may be consumed; what is known as “alcoholism” is not produced by it. In fact beer exercises on the human economy a tonic, nutritive, diuretic, and slightly stupefying action, the last effect being due to the essential oil contained in the hops, but large quantities must be absorbed before this effect can be produced.” Professor W. Nasse, president of the Society of Medical Officers of Insane Asylums in Germany, presented for consideration at their annual meeting held at Hamburg, Sept. 17, 1876, the following question: “How can we specially assist in preventing the injury which results from the use of alcoholic liquors?” It was decided that the only means was in promoting the use of good mild beer. The same opinion has been expressed by Dr. Selman in an address delivered at Dusseldorf, and also by Dr. Roller of Illenau, a meritorious specialist in mental diseases, and by Professors Griesinger of Zurich and Schreiber-Berzelius of Sweden. All the authorities just quoted hold a high rank in their profession, and contributions from their pens frequently appear in the _Quarterly Journal of Inebriety_, published at Hartford, Conn. The Contemporary Review has lately published a series of papers on the same topic, written in a popular style by several London physicians of celebrity, including Dr. Walter Moxon, Sir James Paget and others, and all opposing the doctrine of total abstinence and declaring themselves in favor of beer as a promotive of the real temperance cause. Dr. Albert T. Bernays, too, has considered with great minuteness the cause of intemperance and his conclusion is that beer is the safest kind of alcohol and should be adopted as a common beverage by all classes of people. In the Minnesota Legislature when the prohibitory law was under consideration, Dr. Riley, a representative from Houston county, spoke as follows: “In the district where I reside there is a large number of Germans who have come from the old country and planted grapes, and now there are magnificent vineyards stretching along the hillsides where formerly there was not grass enough to feed a sheep. They raise large quantities of very fine grapes which they ship all over the country. They also make very fine wine. The proposed law will destroy these vineyards of my constituents. * * * Perhaps it will be necessary to pass a law to protect those miserable drunkards who cannot protect themselves but it is not necessary to restrain others of their liberty to drink when they want or need it.