class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Deléarde’s experiments at the Pasteur Institute—Dr. A. Pearce Gould on alcohol and cancer—Delirium in illness caused by alcohol262

CHAPTER XII.
Why Doctors Still Prescribe Alcoholics.

Public often demand it—Lack of knowledge of true nature of alcohol—Alcohol given undeserved credit for recoveries—Use of alcohol results from custom—Education of the people in teachings of non-alcoholic physicians necessary—Prescription of alcohol a matter of routine—Two examples291

CHAPTER XIII.
Alcoholic Proprietary or “Patent" Medicines.

The Pure Food Law—The guarantee—Newspaper opposition to the law—Headache remedies—Fake testimonials—Dangers of soothing syrups and morphine cough syrups—Fraud orders issued by Post-Office Department—Internal Revenue Department and Patent Medicines—Proprietary “Foods" strongly alcoholic—Alcoholic Cod-Liver Oil preparations—Australia’s Royal Commission on Patent Medicines—Committee on Pharmacy analyses—Malt extracts—Coca Wines—Advertising, the strength of the Nostrum business—An effectual remedy299

CHAPTER XIV.
Drugging.

Drugs do not cure disease—Nature cures—Opinions of drug medication of prominent physicians—La grippe caused by drug taking—Coal-tar drugs—Quinine—Sir Frederick Treves on disuse of drugs—People demand drugs of physicians—Mothers make drug victims of their children—Habit-producing drugs—Causes of drug-taking—How to be well335

CHAPTER XV.
Testimonies of Physicians Against Alcoholic Medication.

No need for substitutes for alcohol—Alcohol hides symptoms of disease—Responsibility of physicians—Opinions of many teachers in medical colleges—Hot milk better than alcohol—Journal of the American Medical Association on researches of Abbott and Laitinen—Resolution against alcohol of West Virginia Medical Society—Dr. Knox Bond on Scarlet Fever—Metchnikoff on white blood-cells—Kassowitz describes his treatment of fevers—Sims Woodhead’s opinions—Opinions of German Physicians—Dr. Harvey blames medical profession for careless use of alcohol and opium—Use of Alcohol declining rapidly in medical practice356

CHAPTER XVI.
Recent Researches Upon Alcohol.

Experiments of Laitinen—Resistance of blood-cells to disease lowered by alcohol—International Congress on Alcoholism, London, 1909—Alcohol and Immunity—Effect of Alcohol Drinking on Human Off-spring—Researches of Kraepelin and Aschaffenberg—Economic losses by reduced work through beer and wine drinking—Researches of Dr. Reid Hunt—Mice given alcohol killed by small doses of poison—Difference in effect of alcohol and starch foods—Chittenden on food theory of alcohol—Researches of Dr. S. P. Beebe—Liver impaired by alcohol—Dr. Winfield S. Hall’s interpretation of the researches of Beebe and Hunt—Oxidation of alcohol by liver a protective action—Researches show that alcohol is a poison, not a food392

CHAPTER XVII.
Miscellaneous.

Alcohol Baths—Beverages for the Sick—Tobacco and the Eyesight—Advertised “Cures" for Drunkenness—How to quit drinking—Dr. T. D. Crothers’ remedy for drink crave—Alcohol and Children—Alcohol Tested—Beer-Drinking Injurious to Health—Drug Drinks—Special Directions for Women—Total Abstinence and Life Insurance—Opinions of Life Insurance Companies on drinkers as risks410

INTRODUCTION.

This book is the outcome of many years of study. With the exception of a few quotations, none of the material has ever before appeared in any book. The writer has been indebted for years past to many of the physicians mentioned in the following pages for copies of pamphlets and magazines, and for newspaper articles, bearing upon the medical study of alcohol. Indeed, had it not been for the kindly counsels and hearty co-operation of physicians, she could never have accomplished all that was laid upon her to do as a state and national superintendent of Medical Temperance for the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. She is also under obligation for helps received from the secretaries of several State Boards of Health, and from eminent chemists and pharmacists.

The object of the book is to put into the hands of the people a statement of the views regarding the medical properties of alcohol held by those physicians who make little, or no use of this drug. In most cases their views are given in their own language, so that the book is, of necessity, largely a compilation.

It is hoped that while the laity may be glad to peruse these pages because of the very useful and interesting information to be obtained from them, the medical profession, also, may be pleased to find, in brief form, the teachings of some of their most distinguished brethren upon a question now frequently up for discussion in society meetings.

The writer does not presume to set forth her own opinions upon a question which is still a subject of dispute among the members of a learned profession; she simply culls from the writings of those members of that profession who, having made thorough examination of the claims of alcohol, have decided that this drug, as ordinarily used, is more harmful than beneficial, and that medical practice would be upon a higher plane, were it driven entirely from the pharmacopœia.

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.

When the first edition of this book was published in 1900, there were only a few leading physicians either in Europe or America who were ready to condemn the medical use of alcohol. Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson, Sims Woodhead, and a few