TOBACCO, When rogues fall out, it has been said, honest men come by their own. But when the leading members of the medical fraternity disagree the ordinary public is apt to be bewildered. At the meeting of the British Medical Association, held at Exeter recently, there wore two subjects upon which there was very decided disagreement, to wit: the use of alcohol, and the effect of tobacco smoking. The controversy on the question of the use of alcohol has been in full swing for some months. The opponents and defenders of its use have given their reasons in print, and the ordinary man who hears one side declaim that alcohol in moderation is beneficial, while the other is equally positive that even a modicum of alcoholic liquor daily is harmful, has no alternative but to follow his own opinion—or inclination. Perhaps some optimistic natures hoped that the question would be decided once and for all at the Medical Association's sittings, If so they were doomed to disappointment. Dr. Henry Davy, President of the lution, at breakfast given by the Science Com= mittee of the National Temperance League, threw bombshell into the midst of his hearers when he declared that most temperance societies and a large number of temperance advocates the most unscientific twaddle that was ever invented. He asserted that tea-drinking was frequently far more harmful than mild indalgenee in alcoholic liquors, and in his opinion a meal of cheese and bread and light beer was infinitely more scientific than giving children bread, tea and jam. He wound up with the admission that people ought not to drink half as much alcohol as they did. Dr. Davy's speech provoked a great deal of dissent, and a discussion followed which only' served to emphasize the fact that there is considerable difference of opinion among leading members of the profession. There was the same divergence when Dr. Tidswell of Torquay introduced the subject of tobacco with a violent do-nunciation of the weed in all its forms.
He contended that smoking could not be defended on scientific grounds, and animadverted strongly on the cigarette amongst growing boys. Because it was dangerous to health, and for the sake of the rising generation, he advised every adult to give up the use of tobacco, Dr. Drury of Halifax took up the cudgels on behalf of smokers. and Dr. McWalter said that he had found that tuberculosis was lens common amongst young patients who were smokers. Another doctor announced that he had always smoked to excess without injuring hia health; whether it would shorten his life or not he could not say until he was dead. As in the case of alcohol, no definite conclusion was reached by the opposing factions. Probably both sections were right from th it point of, view. The mistake lies in asserting that this or that. Inxury will be universally harmful. What in poison to one man, where work is of sedentary natare, may have a beneficial effect upon another, whose more strenuous calling endows him with greater physical strength. Moderation in all things seems to be the only safe rule, and if it had been more universally observed by our forefathers the evil effects of alcohol would not be s0 noticeable in the present generation.
THE CAPITAL,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.