The explanation of this probably lies, at least in part, in the fact that the majority of drunkards only take alcohol at greater or less intervals, and as a consequence the system has time to recuperate between sprees. The typical dipsomaniac goes weeks, months, and even years without drinking at all, but when he is seized by the desire for drink he throws everything else aside and spends days and weeks in a prolonged debauch; during this period he eats very little, and as a consequence largely avoids the grave dyspeptic disturbances that would otherwise inevitably result. Alcoholics of this class acquire catarrhal conditions of their stomachs, and if seized with some acute disease, like pneumonia, during or just after a spree, quickly die in a large proportion of cases, but they do not develop gout or Bright's disease as a rule, nor do they very commonly become consumptive, as is the case with those who take the drug in small quantities day by day. Furthermore, it would appear that the grave disorders that so frequently follow the long-continued use of alcohol cannot be said to be the direct result of the use of the drug, but ensue as a consequence of the stimulating action of the alcohol on the appetite, leading to over-eating. Under such circumstances indigestion follows from excessive over-feeding, and this is added to by the naturally irritating effect of the alcohol on the stomach. When this is continued through a series of years, the assimilating power of the organism gradually deteriorates, and we begin to meet with chronic dyspepsia, acute Bright's disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. Let no one then consider that he is not misusing alcohol for the reason that he only takes a drink before meals--it would be far better if he were to go on a moderate spree occasionally. In this connection mention should be made of the great evil of patent medicines containing, and in reality essentially consisting, of alcohol. A vast number of them are widely sold under the misleading statement that they relieve catarrh, cure diseases of the kidneys, and that they act as tonics and general invigorants of the entire system. Masquerading under one guise or another they are sold to the unsuspecting public--prohibitionists for the most part--who fondly imagine that their glass of "bitters," "liver-regulator," or "safe cure for the kidneys," is entirely harmless. Let all such be warned that with scarcely an exception patent medicines of this class are nothing more nor less than poor whisky containing some bitter to disguise the taste, and that they are in fact taking a drink when they use nostrums of this kind. The ultimate effect of this kind of drinking is to produce serious and grave diseases.