Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1885 — Comparative Consumption of Liquor. [ARTICLE]

Comparative Consumption of Liquor.

To one who deplores the extent of the drinking habits in this country, it will be comforting, and perhaps a little surprising, to learn that this is one of the most temperate countries in the world. The London Times has latelycompiled a table showing the average yearly consumption, per head of population, in some of the principal countries of the civilized world, of liquors containing alcohol, with the following result: Spirits, Wine, Beer, Litres. Litres. Litres. Canada....;....'. 3.08 0.29 8.51 Norway3.9o 1.00 15.30 United States. 4.79 2.64 31.30 Great Britain and Ireland. 5.37 2.09 143.92 Anstrla-Hnngary......5.76 22.40 28.42' France 7.28 , 119.20 21.10 Russia.,.B.oß Unkn’n 4.65 Sweden 8.14 0.36 11.00 German Zollverein ... 8.60 6.00 65.00 Belgium 9.20 8.70 169.20 5witzer1and........15.30 55.00 37.50 Netherlands 9.87 2.57 27.00 Denmarklß.9o 1.00 33.33 The litre holds a little over a quart of our liquid measpre. One strange thing shown fay the table is that while the average inhabitant of ! the United States drinks about five quarts of spirits—mostly whisky—a year, he drinks less than three quarts of win®. Compared with most other countries, however, we make a good showing in 'the consumption of spirits, only Canada and Norway consuming less. In Canada a prohibitory law is in force in some of the provinces. The tremendous consumption of spirits in Denmark and Switzerland is the most remarkable fact revealed by the figures in the table. When the Swiss capacity for wine is also noted, and the fact that, besides all this, they drink more beer than Americans, their bibulous propensities certainly stand unrivaled. France is, of course, the great consumer of wine, no other country even approaching her. The Swiss drink nearly half as much as the French, and the inhabitants of Austria-Hungary onefifth as much. Other nations are nowhere in cpmparison. It will fae noted, perhaps with some surprise, that thei English consumption of beer more than doubles that of the Germans, and that the Belgians exceed botfa. The last-named burghers, indeed, average almost a gaHon a week for every man, woman,and child in the country, while the English are content with something less than a pint a day. In this country we drink less beer than Belgians, English, Germans, Swiss, or Danes, but more than Austrians, Dutch, French, Norwegians, Swedes, Russians, or Canadians.— New York Mail and Express.