1. That the proportion of alcohol consumed depends chiefly on the climate. 2. That wealth has only a secondary influence on the consumption. 3. That the births are fewer and the mortality * is greater, in the Departments where the consumption of spirits is low. 4. That crime is not proportionate to the consumption of spirits. 5. That suicide is not proportionate to the consumption of spirits. For example, the Seine-Inférieure consumes three times as much spirits as the Nord, while its suicide is twice as frequent. On the other hand the Pas-de-Calais consumes twice as much spirits as the Nord, and its suicide is two-and-a-half times less. Seine-et-Oise consumes half as much spirits as the SeineInférieure and its suicide is almost double. It is no less interesting, under the several heads we have already taken, to compare the different civilised nations. Documentary evidence is less abundant and less exact, yet I shall endeavour to establish comparative statistics analogous to those tables which I have drawn up for France. [See Table IV. and Note, pages 230-1.] The evidence of Table IV. is even more conclusive than from the different areas of France: 1. France and Great-Britain show an almost equal consumption of spirits, and yet show considerable differences in their birth and death rates, and in their crime. France consumes less spirits, and yet shows a lower birth rate, a higher death rate, and more crime and suicide. 2. Italy consumes but little spirits; her crime is frightful. Sweden, Norway and Denmark consume almost four times as much, with a third of the population, which makes a difference of 1200 per 100, and yet their crime, considering the total populations, is as 40 to 2470.† * Table III. A. shows that the death-rate is not greater.-TRANSLATOR. There seems to be some mistake in the figures of this calculation. If his table is correct, M. F. de Flaix seems, in considering the total populations,' to have divided the Scandinavian crime by 3, instead of multiplying by 3. This would give us 420 to 2470, which is the ratio of the figures given in Table IV. He also omits to notice that the suicides of Denmark and Italy are as 250: 34.-TRANSLATOR, TABLE IV. [In the original table the totals only were given. For converting the figures in the different columns to common denominators, the translator is indebted to Mr. W. G. Ö. Lindsay, as also for summarising the results of Table III.] Country. Population. Births. Births per thousand of population. Deaths. Deaths per thousand of population. Murders. Murders per million of population. Suicides. 330 Russia, 86,540,000 3,416,000 39:47 2,760,000 31 89 2,400 27.73 1,960 22.65 U.S. America, 50,410,000 2,150,000 42.65 1,756,893 34.85 2,060 40 87 120 2.38 288 5.71 76,310,000 1.51 995 21.98 5,878 129-87 140 3:09 330 7.29 60,000,000 1.33 87.02 79 2.09 140 3.7234,000,000 0.90 160 4.27 378 10.10 34,605,000 0.92 Holland, 39,164 19·98 120 14:08 490 250.00 544 193-59 11 0.64 22 7.83 striking if the consumption in the British Isles is subdivided. *Note by M. F. de FLAIX.-The results of this comparison are still more 3. Spain consumes three times less spirits than Italy; her crime is twice as great. 4. Russia consumes four times as much spirits as France; yet her birth-rate is nearly double. 5. Austria and France have the same population, and almost the same consumption of spirits. There is a difference of 50°, in both birth and death rates, and of 100% in the number of suicides. 6. Germany, with a consumption of spirits two-thirds greater, has one-third fewer suicides, and her excess of births over deaths. is five times as great. All hypotheses are thus overturned. For after all, those nations which have the strongest vitality, and those which are most wealthy and moral, consume the largest quantity of spirits. The prediction that alcoholism is to destroy the human species along with civilisation falls to the ground. The vitality of France is no doubt passing a crisis, and she might be adduced as an example if she appeared on the list of those nations which consume much spirits; but she shows only a moderate consumption. Further, it has been shown above that the most vigorous parts of France are exactly those which consume most spirits. Mr. Mulhall has drawn up a table of the quantities of all the alcoholic beverages consumed by the chief nations. I now give this table, as a check upon those already given: Scotland consumes more spirits than England? Is she less civilized? Is she less civilized than Ireland? [England consumes just half the quantity of spirits that Ireland does. Does M. F. de Flaix maintain that Ireland is more civilized ?— TRANSLATOR.] *Not quite twice as much per head.—TRANSLATOR. Alcohol is therefore not a scourge threatening the European races with the fate of the Oceanic races since the nations which consume most alcohol, even ardent spirits and alcool industriel* are the superior nations, those with less crime and stronger vitality. I find a last proof of this in the power of emigration displayed by the nations with high alcoholic consumption. So far are they from dying out that they are obliged to scatter. Russia is covering all the North of Asia with her colonies. The following table shews the emigration of the spirit-drinking nations from 1872 to 1881. The contradiction is thus explained. The land is relieved. It is possible to explain the misunderstanding hidden under the formula of alcoholism, to discover the true nature and function. of alcohol and to understand the true law of its consumption* 1. Alcohol is a new food stuff, whose consumption depends directly on the exigency of the climate. Climate is the law of alcohol. 2. Alcoholism is the abuse, the bad use of a food which is necessary, but is hard to control. II. ON ALCOHOL. It will take a long time to make people recognise the character of alcohol and its function as a food. How many centuries already has it taken to make them accept wine. ΑΠ The alimentary power of not only wine, but of coffee, sugar, chocolate, and tea, is denied by some who would have us return to the times when apothecaries sold tea, sugar, and alcohol. All these came to us from the booths of alchemists and apothecaries, but their sale now can never be restricted to such places. There is now no household, be it never so poor, but has its sugar and its coffee. This advance is enormous. Fifty years ago coffee was served as a luxury on gala days, and sugar was kept as an ornament in crystal dishes. At the same period strong alcohol was considered a poison or a dangerous fluid; it has now a place in the cupboard of every housewife. She handles it as freely as water. In the morning she uses it to heat water even, or the coffee if need be. In the evening she uses it in preparing the tea. It has become a member of the family by the same right as all its predecessors. It is at once a food and a condiment. The same has occurred with gas, petroleum, and steam. On cold wet mornings it awakens the miner's courage; it renews the navvy's strength. How often during a march has it not set our soldiers on their feet again.† We cannot accept this ingenious paradox. We believe that on the contrary alcohol is ever a poison.-Ed. Rev. Scient. + On the contrary observation tends to demonstrate that in these conditions a great prostration, characteristic of its toxic effect, quickly succeeds |