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ALCOHOL AS A MEDICINE.
57
The following is his table:
| 1898 | 1899 | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | |
| Ale and Beer | $759.00 | $793.00 | $1,062.00 | $723.00 | $605.00 |
| Wines and liquors, | 1,563 | 2,209.00 | 1,384.00 | 1,063.00 | 799.00 |
| Total for alcoholic drinks, | $2,321.00 | $3,002.00 | $2,410.00 | $1,786.00 | $1,404.00 |
| Total for other medicines | $8,424.00 | $10,013.00 | $10,132.00 | $9,168.00 | $9,772.00 |
| Number of patients. | 5,005 | 5,203 | 5012 | 5,495 | 5,342 |
| Cost of alcohol per patient. | $0.46 | $0.57 | $0.48 | 0.32 | $0.26 |
| Cost of medicine per patient, | 1.68 | 1.92 | 2.02 | 1.66 | 1.88 |
| 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | |
| Ale and beer. | $338.00 | $341.00 | $301.00 | $192.00 | $203.00 |
| Wines and liquors. | 688.00 | 904.00 | 144.00 | 546.00 | 610.00 |
| Total for alcoholic drinks. | $1,026.00 | $1,335.00 | $445.00 | $738.00 | $813.00 |
| Total for other medicines, | $7,815.00 | $9,162.00 | $7,018.00 | $5,981.00 | $5,492.00 |
| Number of patients. | 5,429 | 5,709 | 5,531 | 5,513 | 5,966 |
| Cost of alcohol per patient. | $0.19 | $0.23 | $0.09 | $0.13 | $0.13 |
| Cost of medicine per patient. | 1.43 | 1.60 | 1.26 | 1.08 | 0.92 |
Dr. Cabot says:
"Since there has been no fall in the price of stimulants or medicine, the diminished expenditure corresponds to a diminution in the number of doses of medicine and stimulants, and indicates a rapid and striking change of view among the members of the staff of the hospital, especially in the past five years, when it has become generally known that alcohol is not a stimulant but a narcotic and that drugs can cure only about half a dozen of the diseases against which we are contending.
"There has been during this period no increase in the proportion of surgical cases among the whole number treated, so that the decreased use of medicines and alcoholic beverages has not resulted from an increased resort to surgical remedies. On the other hand, there has been a great increase in the utilization of baths (hydrotherapeutics), of massage, of mechanical treatment and of psychical treatment, all of which accounts no doubt for part of the falling off in the use of alcohol and drugs."
