British Food Journal Volume 20 Issue 4 1918

Abstract

Under the heading “ Science and Alcohol ” The Times recently observed in a leading article that the “ Central Control Board ” had placed the “ liquor ” question on a new plane by administrative action, and were now undertaking to illuminate it in a more general and radical way by bringing “ science ” to bear. This statement appears to be based on the fact that a little book issued by the Control Hoard under the title of “ Alcohol: Its Action on the Human Organism ” is a “ first instalment ” of this attempt. It is alleged that this book is “ a review of the existing knowledge on the subject prepared by a committee of eight gentlemen representing different branches of science and of acknowledged standing in their several spheres, under the chairmanship of Lord D'Abernon, who contributes a preface.” The Times imagines that “ all sincere seekers after knowledge on the subject will be grateful for the work, which places in their hands a compact summary of the results of past investigation and evolves some sort of order out of a pre‐existing chaos,” and observes that in recent years “ a good deal of research into the action of alcohol has been carried on in different countries, but, as usual, the investigators have been isolated, their observations vary much in value, and the results are scattered about in numerous technical journals, which are not within the reach of ordinary readers. To put these scattered utterances together, sift the grain from the chaff, and present it in an orderly form is a task which few men would have been either able or willing to undertake. Yet a dipassionate survey was badly needed.”

Citation

(1918), "British Food Journal Volume 20 Issue 4 1918", British Food Journal, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 47-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb011077