Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-08-17

not nOurlshed, and the body itself Is little
else than a mass Of putrefaction. In confr-
nation of these statements, the late DR.. Sew
all, Professor in the Columbian College of
Medicine, says, Alcoholis a poison, forey-
or at war with mans nature, and in ALA its
forms and degrees of strength produces irri-
tation Of the stomach which is liable to- re-
salt In inflammation, liberation, and mortfica-
ton. 1t may be asserted with confidence
that no one who INDUCES habitually in. the
use Of Alcoholic drinks possesses q healthy
stomach Alden remarks, |" On every or
gan they touch, ardent spirits operate as q
poison. TO a man in1health there is no such
thing as a temperate use of spirits. In any
quantity they are an enemy to the human
constitution" DIR. Mussey, of the Chic Med
ical College asks, " Does a healthy laboring
man need Alcohol {? No more than he needs
arsenic, corrosive sublimate, or opium."-
Scventy-fve Physicians of Boston have given
the following testimony, viz: "Men inhealth
arc never benefited by tho use of ardent spir-
it's on the contrary, the Use of them is a
frequent cause of disease and death, and Of
ten renders such diseases as arise from other
causes more difficult ofcure, and more fatalin
their termination" Forty-fve Physicians Of
Cincinnati have stated as follows Ardent
spirits is not only unnecessary, but absolute
ly injurious in q healthful state of the system.
It produces many, and aggravates most Of
the diseases to which the human frame is Ii
able. 1t is equally poisonous with arsenic,
operating sometimes more slowly, but with
equal certainty" A learned and experien-
ced Medical Prof. of Washington City has
left on record the following, viz: "Dispep-
STA, iaundico, emaciat;on, corpulence, dropsy,
ulcers, rheumatism, govt, tremors, palpita-
ton, hysteria, epilepsy, palsy, lethargy, APP
oplexy, melancholy madness, delirium tre-
mems and premature old age, compose but.a
small part of the catalogue Of diseases pre-
duced by alcoholic drinks" Similar testl.
mony has been given by hundreds OF the
most intelligent medical men OF the country.
Facts, lamentably numerous, give their con
victing testimony to The RIGHTEOUSNESS O
this water Of death. A great variety OF ex
perimcnts prove beyond the possibility OF
doubt that men who do not drink arden
spirits can perform more labor, endure NOR
hardships, enjoy better health, and live lon
ger, than those who do drink.
But, the baneful effects of ardent spirit
are not confined to the body. Not satisfied
with throwing into disorder that wonderful
mechanism of matter, they must involve tn
higher, and more, sacred interests of mine
Every thing which has a tendency toproduc
improper excitement, either of mind orbody
must he viewed as dangerous in its const
ouenccs. But alcohol invariably tends t
this very thing. Next to the pure love {
drinking it, tits taken to produce an undu
excitement And what is the effect ? On
of the very first effects Of ardent spirits upo
the mind is, the formation of a bad temper
Is it not n fact that, the most amiable dispC
sitions naturally, are ruined, become irrit'
BILE p~ctu.a1t, suspicious, and overbearing
Let the wives and children of the intemperat
answer. With heart-rending illustrations
the fact every whore, it is undeniabfe, TIL
it breaks asunder and destroyes themost e.
dearing bonds of nature and society. III
trail of this serpent is visible upon every ia
ulty of tho mind, and the green venom of
pangs is infused into every affection.
Memory confused, and interrupted thought,
Deaths harbingers, lie latent in the %draught;
And in the flowers that wreath the sparkling boz
Fell adders hiss, and poisonous serponts roll"
Alcohol impairs the memory, debilitat
the Judgment, and peryerts the moral 20
ers. 1t brutalizes the feelings, .engendt
malignity, and arouses into dreadful actiy
the vilest propehsities of the human heart.
And it is not strange that, With this pois
in the brain, men should lose their reason
And hence the use of ardent spirits is a m
fruitful source of insanity. The testimo
is upon record, which proves the fact, Il
more than one half the cases of insanity
produced by intoxicating drinks. Is su
then, the nature of alcohol, and are tn
some of its effects I? | appeal to you, the
fore, to Judge whether the use OF ardent 81
its is not only needless, bat highly perm
Gus. And demand, in view of the testir
nv to the facts in the case, to know, if
have not acted the part of wisdom and safe
in vowing unceasing allegiance to total
s%tinence ? But there are those In this i
of ours who will not receive these sayir
They are those who, IN themattcr of. whis
drinking, make rare exceptions their g
raj rule, and argue, that because drink
has never killed them, that therefore, it NJ
killed any body else. 1t is too true,
there are 'multitudes whose "j6dgmen
perverted by strong drink, and whose
slant bowings to Bacchus prevent their
bending to the greatness of truth.
Another reason why we have forever q
doned the use of alcohol is
2. The egtis uhich II inyficts. upon our c
try. .
The magnitude and appalling extent
these evils have aroused the public min
Investigation, and the results are spread
terrible and undeniable. No vice has
DG6u ~ ldlOhlulJ ~ NN5 "hN US ~
so well ascertained Us this. Admitted BY
best chemists, end proved by its effects
be poison, it stands out pre-eminent in
greatness Gifts curse, and first in the va
and malignity of the Ills it entails. 1t
rect tendency is to produce disease, pov
crime and death to shorten life, ." f
graveyards," and to spread the pail of
over the abodes ofpeace and JOY. Alcol
ascertained to be the grand source of
tenths of all the pauperism, and nine t
ofall the crimes in the land. Are you a
my hearers, that according to the last &c
eighty six millions of gallons of spiril
liquors are annually consumed in the Z
States /? That far the larger portion o
enormous quantity is prepared in the Z"
key.mills" of our own country? thai
millions of gallons are distilled from n
ses, and more than nine millions of Blu
of rye are used for this purpose? Dc
know that these millions of gallons, as I
cd, cost the country not less than forty
lions of dollars-that they render three
dred thousand of our citizens intempe
that in consequence ofthis i~ntemperanc
country ~sustains an annual loss, in the
ductive labor of these drunkards, of NJ
r.. 4b;~tv ,~r;IlionS Of dollars and n I