the alkalinity of the blood was slightly diminished, and the
number of leucocytes somewhat decreased. He also draws attention to the
fact that his experiments prove that pregnant animals and their
offspring are markedly affected by the continued use of small doses of
alcohol. He shows, too, that the temporary lowering of the body
temperature by alcohol produces the most favorable condition for the
invasion of disease germs.

Since the publication of these experiments, and of others similar to
them, the use of alcohol in diphtheria and tuberculosis has very largely
ceased. Boards of health and charity organizations unite in warning
against indulgence in alcoholic drinks as conducive to tuberculosis.

At the International Congress on Alcoholism, held in London in July,
1909, Professor Laitinen delivered two lectures. The first was upon "The
Influence of Alcohol on Immunity." The following is taken from this
lecture:--

"Modern researches have done much to explain the extent and
nature of the protective powers by which the organism endeavors
to defend itself against the attacks of all kinds of injurious
agencies, and especially against invasion by the germs of
infective diseases. It is now a well-established fact that
alcohol weakens the normal resisting power of the body against
the above-named disease-producing influences. In the hope of
contributing something to the explanation of the way in which
alcohol weakens the organism, I have made a number of
experiments bearing upon the question of the influence of
alcohol on immunity.

"Early in this century careful experiments went to show that
alcohol certainly had some influence upon immunity. Two
Americans, Abbott and Bergey, were the first to discover that
this agent produces a diminution of the haemolytic complement in
the blood-serum of certain animals which were tested. They
showed also that the formation of specific haemolytic receptors
(immune bodies) may be retarded by the action of alcohol.

"The extent of the evil effects upon the human body resulting
from the consumption of alcoholic liquors is as yet far from
being fully known, and stands in need of scientific
verification. Many other injurious influences such as unsanitary
dwellings, bad feeding, excessive toil, and toxic agents like
nicotine, etc., may produce somewhat similar morbid effects. It
is theref