l.

[Sidenote: Consumption of Alcohol]

The per capita consumption of alcohol has greatly increased in the
United States in recent years, while in the United Kingdom it has
materially decreased, as shown in the following table. This factor must
be considered in assigning a cause for the increasing mortality from
degenerative diseases in this country as compared to a decreasing
mortality from these maladies in Great Britain.

ANNUAL PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION (IMPERIAL GALS.) OF ALCOHOL IN VARIOUS
COUNTRIES[9] 1896-1912

--------+------------------------------+--------------------------------
| 1896-1900. | 1908-1912.
+------+------+--------+-------+------+------+--------+---------
| Beer.| Wine.|Spirits.| Total.| Beer.| Wine.|Spirits.| Total.
--------+------+------+--------+-------+------+------+--------+---------
Germany | 25.4 | 1.37| 1.66 | 28.43 | 22.4 | 1.09| 1.29 | 24.78
U. K. | 31.6 | .39| 1.05 | 33.04 | 26.65| .26| .71 | 27.62
France | 5.5 | 19.9 | 1.7 | 27.1 | 8.6 | 24.7 | 1.42 | 34.72
U. S. | 13.01| .30 | .81 | 14.12 | 16.62| .52| 1.02 | 18.16
--------+------+------+--------+-------+------+------+--------+---------

#Laboratory and Clinical Evidence Relating to the Physiological Effects
of Alcohol#

To interpret correctly the mortality statistics relating to moderate
drinkers and total abstainers, one must have some knowledge of the
physiological effects of alcohol in so-called moderate doses, a
knowledge which is often lacking in those who assume to interpret such
statistics.

For example: If it could be shown that small doses of alcohol produce no
ascertainable ill effects upon the human organism, the higher mortality
among the moderate drinkers as compared to total abstainers might have
to be explained as due to some as yet unrecognized cause or causes
other than alcohol. But if laboratory and clinical evidence shows that
alcohol in so-called moderate quantities (social moderation) produces
definite ill effects, such as lowering the resistance to disease,
increasing the liability to accident and interfering with the efficiency
of mind and body and thus lessening the chances for success in life, to
say nothing of any toxic degenerative effect upon liver, kidneys, brain
and other organs, the excess mortality that unquestionably obtains among
moderate drinkers as compared to total abstainers m