Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-08-30
ADDRESS ON TEMPERANCE.

in our last number, we this day present
our readers with the following extracts
from Dr. Wcedcn's Address on the sub
Ject Of Temperance, recently delivered
before the Newport Temperance Society.
4 'Alier showing the extent TO which in
/ temperance is instrumental III the produce
7 ton Of disease, and citing the testimony
Of distinguished physicians in corrobora-
ton OF his statements, and after noticing
the aggravated nature of all diseases oc-
curing in the persons ofthosc accustom-
ed TO the stimulus Of alcohol, the dGuror
proceeds to describe its operation on the
brain, in the following manner" Utter
ly destitute of single nutriiive particle,
ITS effects on every tissue Of the human
body are poisonous, and on no tissue do
these effects sooner show themselves than
OH the brain and nervous systcm-be-
sides inducing tremors, commissions, YER
tigo, stupor and insersbility, j reaches
the brain, unassiulatcd and deranges
the structure as well as the functions of
this organ-Dr Kirk tells us that in an
examination, which he made OF man,
who died alter fit of intoXic alton, he
detected distilled spirits by the usual
tests, III the cavities Of the brain, ming
led with the fluid usually found there, and
the substance of the brain was prefer
naturally hardened as it always is alter
being immersed for any considerable
time in diluted alcohol. | have myself
noticed this fact in lOo instances, III the
prosecution ofmy Anatomical studies
1t must be expected that insanity will IL
surp the place Of reason, when this deli
cate organ is constantly bathod in flu
id which hardens its substance, changes
its nature, and renders il unfit TO dis
charge the wonderful function of eidJora-
ling mind.--Of73l maniacs in Two hos
pitals in Great Britain, 1872 were made
SO by intemperance. One Of the resi-
dent physicians to the Philadelphia aims
house Infirnary, informed me that l45
cases of insanity from drinking, occurred
in that establishment in the short space
of six months
81 pass from the disease 10 the
poverty which follows the footsteps
Of fintempGrance--Of 1884 paupcrs ad-
mitted into the Baltimore county aims
house from May 1929, to May 1880,
1869 of them were brought there by in
temperance.-In two alms-houses i'll n. i
ork, where an investig alton was made,
ont Of 3I2 paupcrs, no less than 33a of
them were made SO by intempcrance.----
In another, ntneteen hcentieths of all the
inmates were brought there by their own
intemperance or that OF others The su-
pcrintendant of the Albany alms-house
declares, tha. were it not for strong drink
that establishment would be tcnantless.
The very respectable gentlemen who
place, from reviewing the records and
from the best of their recolIections, give
it as their opinion, that at least three
fOurths of its inmates were brought there
either directly or Indirectly by intemper-
ance. The expense of maintaining them
since ;he Asylum was built, has been n
bout So 800 year, and OF course more
than three tourhs of this tax has been
annually imposed on the industrious and
people otths town for the sup
port Of drunkards and drunkards' lani-
lies.-But this is not all--there are in
this town 100 licensed houses of reti'esh
meni. Now allowing three iourths ofthe
inhabitants to be women and children [
sixteen years of age who do not drink, {
and we have licensed tavern or retail {
inc shop for every twenty men. l can j
not pretend TO calculate the amount sold c
by all these shops, but such calculation i
accurately made, would disclose an item G
II the bill of your cXpeus~s that would /
'tartle prodlgality itself" $
"Intempcrnnce as n source Of crimes,
S no less fruitful than rs source OF DIS
ease and poverty. OF lOGl criminal J.
prosecutions before the Court of Sessions 7
n the city of New York, 800 of them u
we're connected with intemperance.
The author here detailed number of d
ases ofcri.ninal prosecutions, quoted the c
pnions of distinguished jurists, and re-
erred to the records Of state-prisons and =
so as to leave no doubt in :,
nc mind Of any rational man, that more C.
ian four .jglhs Of all the crimes commit 81
ID in this country are connected with a. ~
,temperance-having summed up the 6,
expenses Of this vice TO our country, ro
hich amounts to no less than $94 ,00O,- -
90 year; and having depicted the mo- pr
II, social and political evils consequent =, ~
pom it, he next entered into an exami- il
alton Of the generally received opinion pc