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16 The Health Bulletiis- 15 livei' was six times the normal; from diabetes, three times the normal; from cerebral hemorrhage or apoplexy, nearly twice the normal; from organic diseases of the heart, nearly twice the normal; from pneumonia, nearly twice the normal. For brewery officials insuring under 45, the death rate from cancer and other malignant tumors, cerebral hemorrhage and apoplexy, organic diseases of the heart, pneumonia and Bright's disease, among the proprietors, managers and superintendents is the liver, three times the normal. The death rate from suicide is nearly twice the normal." These figures again emphasize the fact that these unfavorable results are not due wholly to the chemically destructive effect upon the tissues, but to its disturbing effect on the whole organism and especially on the conduct and relationships of the individual. These are, of course, legitimate effects of alcohol. Occasionally the naive suggestion has been made that these figures do not reflect moderate drinking, but the development of immoderate drinking among theretofore moderate drinkers. The increased indulgence in alcohol thus postulated for the moderate drinker is quite as much a pathological state as cirrhosis of the liver or disease in any other part of the body, and must be charged against moderate drinking. The question in a nutshell is this: What risk does a man assume when he enters the ranks of the so-called moderate drinkers ? This risk is quite definitely shown by life insurance experience. On the other hand, there is abundant evidence from laboratory sources as to why this extra risk should obtain. If we had no laboratory experience, the life insurance experience would lead us to expect what is actually found in the laboratory, and if we had no life insui'ance experience, the laboratory testimony would lead us to expect approximately what we do find in the life insurance offices. Upon such evidence society is justified in at least trying the experiment of a very rigid restriction of alcohol indulgence. To the man who says that alcohol has been used for ages and that the human race is still here, I answer "yes, but the human race is not yet in a position to give a report that it can be proud of as to the custody that intellect has given the body intrusted to its care, nor can man at the present moment secure a very high rating as to his social and political adjustments." Until we can make a better report on these matters let us not prate about what we have been doing with alleged impunity for thousands of years, but rather let us search for the gross errors we have committed in our living habits during these years and see what can be done by an organized effort to move up onto a higher plane of existence. Already, in this country, an experiment is in progress in throwing overboard an ages-old custom supposed to be more or less necessary to the majority of our people, and already we are beginning to discern that the human race has been fooled for ages and that this custom is in fact apparently necessary for only a very limited number of pathological individuals. After all, there is nothing like evidence to settle debate and even in the early stages of the prohibition experiment in this country, quite a number of bugaboos have been laid to rest with regard to the supposed necessity of alcohol indulgence, and the supposed disasters that ^would follow its restriction. All good sports will welcome a thorough and fair trial of practical abstinence on the part of a nation of a hundred and ten millions of people, and all good sports will join in making this experiment a fair and square one. If alcohol is a hormone, let us know it. If alcohol is a fake hormone, as present evidence would indicate, let us admit this fundamental truth and justify the possession of that reasoning intelligence which distinguishes man from the brute.
Object Description
Rating | |
Fixed Title * | NCHH-04: The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Document Title | The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Subject Topical | Public health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Contributor | North Carolina. State Board of Health. |
Publisher | Raleigh, North Carolina State Board of Health. |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1921 |
Identifier | NCHH-04-036 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Language | English |
Rights | This item is part of the North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection. Some materials in the Collection are protected by U.S. copyright law. This item is presented by the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for research and educational purposes. It may not be republished or distributed without permission of the Health Sciences Library. |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | The North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection is an open access publishing initiative of the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Financial support for the initiative was provided in part by a multi-year NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) digitization grant, awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, and funded through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). |
Volume Number | 36 |
Health Discipline | Medicine |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-04/nchh-04-036.pdf |
Document Sort | all; group-b; nchh-04 |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-04-036 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-04 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1296443 |
Description
Fixed Title * | Page 16 |
Document Title | The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Subject Topical | Public health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Contributor | North Carolina. State Board of Health. |
Publisher | Raleigh, North Carolina State Board of Health. |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1921 |
Identifier | NCHH-04-036-0054 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Page Type | all; article |
Language | English |
Rights | This item is part of the North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection. Some materials in the Collection are protected by U.S. copyright law. This item is presented by the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for research and educational purposes. It may not be republished or distributed without permission of the Health Sciences Library. |
Filename | healthbulletinse36nort_0054.jp2 |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | The North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection is an open access publishing initiative of the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Financial support for the initiative was provided in part by a multi-year NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) digitization grant, awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, and funded through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). |
Volume Number | 36 |
Issue Number | 3 |
Page Number | 16 |
Health Discipline | Medicine |
Full Text | 16 The Health Bulletiis- 15 livei' was six times the normal; from diabetes, three times the normal; from cerebral hemorrhage or apoplexy, nearly twice the normal; from organic diseases of the heart, nearly twice the normal; from pneumonia, nearly twice the normal. For brewery officials insuring under 45, the death rate from cancer and other malignant tumors, cerebral hemorrhage and apoplexy, organic diseases of the heart, pneumonia and Bright's disease, among the proprietors, managers and superintendents is the liver, three times the normal. The death rate from suicide is nearly twice the normal." These figures again emphasize the fact that these unfavorable results are not due wholly to the chemically destructive effect upon the tissues, but to its disturbing effect on the whole organism and especially on the conduct and relationships of the individual. These are, of course, legitimate effects of alcohol. Occasionally the naive suggestion has been made that these figures do not reflect moderate drinking, but the development of immoderate drinking among theretofore moderate drinkers. The increased indulgence in alcohol thus postulated for the moderate drinker is quite as much a pathological state as cirrhosis of the liver or disease in any other part of the body, and must be charged against moderate drinking. The question in a nutshell is this: What risk does a man assume when he enters the ranks of the so-called moderate drinkers ? This risk is quite definitely shown by life insurance experience. On the other hand, there is abundant evidence from laboratory sources as to why this extra risk should obtain. If we had no laboratory experience, the life insurance experience would lead us to expect what is actually found in the laboratory, and if we had no life insui'ance experience, the laboratory testimony would lead us to expect approximately what we do find in the life insurance offices. Upon such evidence society is justified in at least trying the experiment of a very rigid restriction of alcohol indulgence. To the man who says that alcohol has been used for ages and that the human race is still here, I answer "yes, but the human race is not yet in a position to give a report that it can be proud of as to the custody that intellect has given the body intrusted to its care, nor can man at the present moment secure a very high rating as to his social and political adjustments." Until we can make a better report on these matters let us not prate about what we have been doing with alleged impunity for thousands of years, but rather let us search for the gross errors we have committed in our living habits during these years and see what can be done by an organized effort to move up onto a higher plane of existence. Already, in this country, an experiment is in progress in throwing overboard an ages-old custom supposed to be more or less necessary to the majority of our people, and already we are beginning to discern that the human race has been fooled for ages and that this custom is in fact apparently necessary for only a very limited number of pathological individuals. After all, there is nothing like evidence to settle debate and even in the early stages of the prohibition experiment in this country, quite a number of bugaboos have been laid to rest with regard to the supposed necessity of alcohol indulgence, and the supposed disasters that ^would follow its restriction. All good sports will welcome a thorough and fair trial of practical abstinence on the part of a nation of a hundred and ten millions of people, and all good sports will join in making this experiment a fair and square one. If alcohol is a hormone, let us know it. If alcohol is a fake hormone, as present evidence would indicate, let us admit this fundamental truth and justify the possession of that reasoning intelligence which distinguishes man from the brute. |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-04/nchh-04-036.pdf |
Document Sort | all; group-b; nchh-04 |
Article Title | The Relationship of Alcohol to Modern Health Ideals |
Article Author | Fisk, Eugene Lyman |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-04-036 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-04 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1296443 |
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