Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-09-14
NANsEMoNn. Sent. l. 1888

NANSEMONQ, sept. i, 1000.
Mr.. EDITOR Among the four hundred
there is not one to whom | would willingly
yield the palm, in an earnest desire to wit
ness the prosperity and success of our glori-
Gus fraternity. For the past four years I have
keen attached to this order, and to some one
q the various societies for the suppression
OF the evils of intemperance, a member for
sixteen years. [ believe In moral s~uasion,
carried to such an extent as to convince the
majority of freemen the necessity of legal
suaslOn to compel the minority to cease the
traffic in this hellish beverage, alcohol. l
feel proud ia being a member of Division
which was the first to show their indapen-
denGe by adopting resolutions publicly de-
%noQncing. the OdiouS practice of treating to
alcoholic drinks at elections, by political can
didates, and refusing to vote for such as pur-
sued this course. | am willing to 90 as far
as duty and the welfare of our Order require,
but there arc bounds beyond which, reason,
discretion, and judgment forbid us to pass {;
and yet efforts are now being made to over
leap them.
But a short time since an attempt was
made to prohibit the use of wine in the sac
ramental service, and now l perceive that
some member is whispering through your
good Spirit, the necessity of physicians dis
pensing with alcohol as a medicinal agent
Now, Mr.. Editor, the expression of such
an opinion, though guided by the purest mo.
tives and Il desire to benefit mankind,-me
thinks will have a tendency neither to " pro.
mote the harmony or advance the interest
of the Order of the Sons of Temperance,
The first use to which alcohol was applied
was as a medicine ; and since it's discover,
by the Arabians up to the present time, i
has been used by all classes of physicians
and even now there is scarcely one who will
deny its virtue as a valuable stimulant, OF
when necessity calls for it's use will refuse it
aid. True, in many instances, injuries, MOI
al, physical and intellectual have resulted
from its abuse, but the same objection pre-
sents itself in the use of some of the mos
valuable articles of our Materia Medical
That paralysis, COMMISSIONS stuporand dealt
are sometimes caused by lead, strychnia
opium and mercury, is an insufficient seaso1
for disseminating their use, for upon thei
poisonous qualities depends the very RENE
dial principle for which they are admins
tered. A fondncss for the use of ~intoxica
ting drinks is but seldom acquired or re
produced by the peculiar flavor of alcoho
but principally from its stimulating effect
upon the system hence camphor, turper
tine, amonia, pepper ETC., should be erase
from our list of remedies, lest they also lea
to habits ofintemperancein our patients. BIZ
alcohol, which in a state of health is AWAY
a stimulant, is by no means such in all case
of disease for when indicated to sustain til
vital powers, las in the case Of advanced t.
phoid or typhus feVer) it is sedative, fl
when given in large doses it does not &c stei
away the brain" or produce intoxication, bl
diminishes the frequency of pulse, lesser
delirium, and causes refreshing sleep an
moisture of tongue.
I think l may here safely hazard the a
s~ertion, that where one Individual is iniurt
by the iudicious use of alcohol, administers
by q regular and skilful physician, more tbs
one thousand are destroyed by it's use as
beverage.
Among the Sons of Temperance there a
!, perhaps as large q number of the medic
profession as that of any other, and of thes
nine-tenths would refuse to be governed
any rule depriving them of a valuable artiC
/ of their Materia Medica. The public wou
2 also consider it a f~anatical proceedings, a
4 our order would consequently suffer. VIII
|. we have succeeded in stopping its use as
: beverage, it will then be time to discuss t
9 propriety of it's disuse in disease.
v | should not have said this much, Mr.. Z
= itor, but for fear that this matter may
:. come mixed up with our order, and an
e tempt made to incorporate it in our consti
ton or bylaws, which would prove of inc
n culable disadvantage to US. For while al,
e hol, as Il beverage, is the greatest curse und
l. which our county groans, yet as a medici
it is convertible into q blessing to mankil
h In this | think | shall be borne out by eve
T one who STYLES himself an
20 ALLOPATHIST