Debate on drink – a food or poison?

From this newspaper 150 years ago

Middlesbrough Athenaeum – The adjourned discussion upon “Alcohol-food or poison?” by the members of this institution was resumed on Wednesday last, in the New Room of the Oddfellows’ Hall.

There was a large attendance of members. Mr Bell, the reader of the paper, defended his position with considerable ability. He said that alcohol in all its forms, whether pure or diluted as in ales, beer, wines, brandy, whiskey &c was poisonous. He chiefly based his opinion upon experiments made by Lallemand, Perrin, and Duroy, on the elimination of alcohol from the system by the excretory organs. They found that it was not changed in the system and consequently was not food. He further argued that the fact of its producing intoxication was a proof of the poisonous effects upon the body and that the derivation of the word “intoxication” from “toxicum” a poison shewed the light in which the ancients viewed alcohol.

In reference to the statements of Dr Bodington, who contended that the question of the elimination of alcohol, in a pure state after injestion was not proved and that Bandot’s criticism and experiments went far to throw doubt upon the correctness of Lallemand’s conclusions.

Mr Bell expressed his astonishment that the doctor did not know better than not to believe what, according to Mr Bell, was apparent to everybody. - Mr Ford in a very able manner contended that alcohol was not only not poison, but the most beneficial article of food in the whole category of ailments. – Mr Dunning said that he was a teetotaller, and that he believed there was not such a thing as a stimulant in nature, and that alcohol was nothing but poison. 

Other gentlemen took part in the discussion; and Mr Bell replied, going over the arguments he had advanced in his paper. He contended that no doubt could be entertained upon his subject, and warned the gentlemen of the medical profession when they prescribed alcoholic drinks that a great responsibility rested upon them. He said that much of the drunkness of both males and females was to be attributed to the use of wine by medical men, in disease, and reprobated the use of alcohol as medicine, in the usual way.

From this newspaper 100 years ago

The Darlington Holiday. Attempts have been made from time to time to bring Darlington into line with other towns and villages in the country, where, with but one or two exceptions, the general holiday is observed at Easter, Whitsuntide, and in August, on the Monday. The general practice has much to recommend it no doubt, particularly from the shop assistants’ point of view, and but for the fact that it has been found impossible to get the markets transferred from Monday day to another day in the week the advocates of a change at Darlington would doubtless have long since achieved their end. Only a year or two ago a very determined effort was made on the part of a certain section of Darlington tradespeople to substitute Monday for Tuesday, but it proved unsuccessful. Certainly nobody who observed the densely crowded streets in the shopping centres of Darlington on Monday could fail to easily discern the reason.

To make up for a little inconvenience admittedly suffered by a small portion of community the shopkeepers in general must benefit enormously by the tremendous influx of people from the surrounding district. It is doubtful if on any previous holiday there were so many visitors to be seen as on Monday, and it is idle to suggest that this does not mean record business for the shopkeepers.

No doubt there are certain trades that do not derive any benefit from the class of visitor, but there are many others than do - and, of course, the visitors have also some claim to be considered.

So long as the markets are held on a Monday there is little likelihood of change, and it would be unfair to the country folk that they should find the shops closed on the one great day of the year that they come to the town to do business.

From this newspaper 50 years ago

Bedale is “the fairy godmother” to the smaller and poorer parishes in the Bedale Rural District, in helping the various villages to have street lighting. For as the biggest ratepayer it will be helping to contribute to the street lighting schemes where the parishes least able to afford the lights will be helped by the general rate fund. It is estimated that a farthing rate will be sufficient from the general rate fund to help the villages have street lighting, which will be installed for the winter. Reminding members of the Rural Council of Bedale’s “fairy godmother” role, Coun T Hall, chairman, said the Bedale members, despite an approaching election had felt they should be willing to make a contribution to help the whole district.

Bedale got a lot of support from the outside parishes and this was one way it could reciprocate.

Parishes participating in the street lighting had written accepting the scheme and the chairman thanked the Council’s officers for the tremendous amount of work they had put in in preparing the scheme. Scruton, which already has lighting, agreed to hand over lighting powers to the Bedale Rural Council, but hoped there would be full consultation. A request from the Kirby Fleetham Parish Council for a light at Salutation Corner, Little Fencote was pressed by local members but was rejected by the Council. Coun Reg Merrin said if they accepted this they would get people in all sorts of places asking for a light here and a light there and the costs would rise.