SYSTEMIC EFFECTS 305 



of alcohol until an illness or accident brings them to 

 light. 



Systemic effects. Alcohol not only injures the spe- 

 cial organs and tissues of the body but in addition it 

 produces certain more general effects. It is frequently 

 noticed that the powers of resistance to disease in habit- 

 ual moderate users are markedly lessened. Their powers 

 of recovery after accidents or illnesses are also de- 

 creased and in some cases entirely destroyed. These 

 effects vary greatly with different persons. Some dete- 

 riorate rapidly under the influence of very small amounts, 

 whereas others are seemingly able to withstand large 

 amounts for long periods with but little apparent effect. 

 The latter are simply examples of exceptional resistance 

 to its influence and cannot be cited to prove that alcohol 

 has no injurious effects. One might as well argue that 

 scarlet fever is not contagious because a certain number 

 of persons, although frequently exposed, have failed to 

 catch it. Unfortunately, these resistant cases are rare, 

 whereas the number who bear witness to its injurious 

 effects is overwhelming. 



Longevity. The effect of the use of alcohol upon 

 length of life is conclusively shown by the statistics of 

 the various life insurance companies, which consider the 

 subject from the unbiased point of view of business. Be- 

 tween the years 1875 and 1889, the Mutual Life Insur- 

 ance Company found that upon the lives of those who had 

 declared themselves to be total abstainers when applying 

 for their policies, the maximum expected loss was $5,455,- 

 669, and the actual loss was $4,251.050. Upon those who 

 acknowledged themselves users of alcoholic beverages the 

 maximum expected loss was $9,829,462, and the actual 

 loss was $9,469,407. 



The experience of the Sceptre Life Assurance Society, 



