136 APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY 



ashamed to say that they did not drink ; now men are 

 getting to be ashamed of drinking. 



265. Waste from alcohol. In the United States alone 

 one and a half billions of dollars are paid for strong drink 

 each year. The drink is made from good fruit and grain 

 which can otherwise be used as food for man or animals. 

 Bread costs the people less than half as much as strong 

 drink. For every dollar spent for the support of churches 

 fifteen are spent for strong drink. To pay the drink bill 

 each year would take ten times more gold and silver than 

 is mined. The price of two or three drinks, if it were put 

 in a savings bank each day would amount to enough in ten 

 years to pay for a comfortable home. 



The loss to the drinker is only a small part of the whole 

 loss. Because of sickness and loss of strength due to 

 strong drink the men who hire drinkers do not get the full 

 value for their money. In Great Britain it is calculated 

 that the amount of labor lost by drink would amount to at 

 least two hours every day for every workingman. The 

 loss is made much greater if we count the accidents to 

 property, health, and even to life caused by persons under 

 the influence of strong drink. 



We must add to this estimate the amount spent on jails 

 and insane asylums, for over one half of all crime and in- 

 sanity is directly produced by strong drink. We must also 

 add the loss of great numbers of strong workers who once 

 filled high positions but have lost them because of strong 

 drink. We must also consider the loss of a far greater 

 number of young men who would have risen to be re- 

 spected citizens if it were not for strong drink. 



To all this money waste we must add the amount of 

 suffering and want which the drinkers' families at home 

 must bear. We must also remember the number of chil- 



