The physiological errors of moderation / by William B. Carpenter.

  • William Benjamin Carpenter
Date:
[1855]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physiological errors of moderation / by William B. Carpenter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    20/32 page 20
    tage of the Total Abstinence system over Moderation is most unmistakeably evidenced by the experience of our Indian Army: as the Goveniment return of the mortality of the three classes of Tee- totalers, Temperate or Moderate men, and Intemperate, authorita- tively proves; this being ll'l per 1,000 for the first, 23‘1 per 1,000 for the second, and 44-5 for the third. Let it be noted that whilst the mortality of the Intemperate was nearly double that of the Temperate, that of the Temperate or Moderate men was more than double that of the Total Abstainers. The contrast becomes even more striking, when to the constant effects of the high temperature, is added the temporary influence of muscular exertion, especially when performed under circumstances which peculiarly predispose to disease. The following statement, made on the authority of an ofiicer in the regiment to which it relates, affords unquestionable proof of the value of Abstinence, in a condition of all others most trying to the capacity of enduring fatigue, and the power of resisting causes of disease:— “ In the early part of the year 1847, the 84th Regiment marched by wings from Madras to Secunderabad, a distance of between four and five hundred miles. They were forty-seven days on the road, and during this time the men were, practically speaking. Tee- totalers. Previous to leaving Madras, subscriptions were made among the men, and a coffee establishment was organized. Every moiTiing, when the tents were struck, a pint of hot coffee and a biscuit were ready for each man, instead of the daily morning dram, which soldiers on the march in India almost invariably take. Half way on the day’s march the regiment halted, and another pint of coffee was ready for any man who wished it. The regi- mental canteen was opened only at ten and twelve o’clock for a short time, but the men did not frequent it, and the daily con- sumption of arrack for one wing was only two gallons and a few drams per diem, instead of twenty-seven gallons, which was the daily Government allowance. The commanding officer employed the most judicious precautions to prevent the men from obtaining arrack in the villages on the route, and his exertions were effec- tively seconded by the zealous co-operation of the other officers, and by the admirable conduct of the majority of the men, who were fully persuaded of the noxious influence of ardent spirits during exercise in the sun. The results of this water system were shortly these:—during the whole march the regiment had not a single ])risoner for drunkenness; although the road is proverbial for cholera and dysentery, and passes through several unhealthy and marshy districts, the men were free from sickness to an ex- tent absolutely unprecedented in our marches in India; they had no cholera and no fever, and lost only two men from dysentery, both of whom were old chronic cases taken out of hospital at ^Madras. With these exceptions, there was scarcely a serious
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3