Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-11-15

1od has furnished us with those il,s;ins-
necessary TO seek out and selest the class
articles best adapted 10 human snstenaec
ana the ingenuity TO approtriote them to on
necessities. From the earliest ages of wlic
we have any recorl, stimulanls, As well 4
food, have been regar,led as Necessary To a,
imal life, and the development OF its ment.
and physical ability.
Quotations are not necessary 10 remind am,
who are at all accustomed t0 read the ScriI
lures, that, in the Old Testament, wine il as
sociated with milk and oil-with fatress an
abundance. Nowhere, however, is there tn
slightest in:imation that its Use can be dis
pensed with. The modern theories, with re
gard to the alleged ancient practice of sus
pended fermentation and "drugging,o canno
be sustained; nor is there any doubt that tn
wine which "cheered the heart of man.
would intoxicate, if used to excess.
Its temperate use is everywhere enioincd
and is alluded TO as one of the virtues tina
distinguishes the true Christian; from th,
striking denunciations of Solomon down {,
the injunction of the Apostle add &
your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge
and to knowledge, Temperance" All na
tons, however barbarous, every people. how
ever isolated, have discovered mode of pro
curing some sort of stimulant. Almost al
known vegetable substances, as well as man,
animal, have been employed for this pur-
pose. Probably a list Of more than one hun.
dred articles could be furnished, frequently
OF the most incongruous description, from
which an Intoxicating element has been pro
cured. Unless there is some constitutions
necessity TO be supplied, it is very difficult
to account for this instructive ingenuity.
We may safely calculate, then, that, Will,
the constitution Of man remains UNCHANGED
there will ever be manifested desire 70
stimulants, and that they will be require,
until more perfect physical organization i
attained. While it is nnquestionably that n,
person in health can safely employ any arti
Gle that intoxicates, still, while we live Sc
fast as now-while we burn the candle a
both ends-while the mind and body ars
taxed to their utmost capacities, for a consid.
erable period of time--there are. frequently.
conditions which require the temporary use
Of stimulant tonic.
II. sTIMULANTs ARE NECESSARY.
A medical writer, in the Bibliotheca Sacra
OF 1855, in an article directed to students
says: ''In the present state of public senti.
ment, there is little danger of the abuse oI
stimulants by educated men who desire to
set an example of temperance; we are not
sure, that, as far as the health of the individ-
ual il concerned, the error is not on the other
side"
And again the same writer observes: eve
acknowledge that, with most physiciaps. we
feel very often a reluctance to advise the use
of stimulants, for fear of the possible forma-
ton of bad habit But we have too often
seen their good effects, when ordered by a
practitioner, bolder or less scrupulous than
the greater number of physicians of the pre-
sent day, not to feel strongly persuaded that
there are many in our community who would
be better for an occasional stimulant It is
true that one in perfect health does not need
it-cannot be made better, and cannot but be
made worse by it. But niis Is the condition Of
not so large a number as is generally supposed" !"
That very many persons require stimulants
as well as food-that, while often injurious
they arc frequently beneficial, and even me-
cessary, cannot be denied.
III BY WHOM sTIafUIASTs ARE NEEDED
While It is true that no person in health re-
quires stimulants, still, in the present state OF
society, there are so many causes operating
to disturb the equilibrium of health, that a
state--often temponry-may oc-
cur needing a remedy of stimulant charac-
ter; even in cases when there is not present
a condition that would be regarded as one
Of illness, requiring medicine or physician.
Foreigners say Of US, that We are short
lived, consumptive. lanky, pale faced, physic-
taking race With regard to the two first
points, statistics show that they have nothing
to boast over us; and the successful sale OF
quack medicines in England shows that we
come honestly by our physic-taking propensi-
ties. That we are lean and pale-faced must
be very apparent to one accustomed to look
upon the ruddy faces of Englishmen, and to
observe the fine color which distinguishes the
English women, even up to an age which we
regatd as advanced. We are, to a remarka-
bic degree, an overworked people. Our ply
sical and mental energies are constantly taxed
to the utmost. The irst impression made
upon the mind Of a foreigner is, that we are
always in hurry. Our ambition induces us
to undertake too much, and We are not con
tent with moderate accumulation. We
rest, and spare little time for relaxation ol
holidays. Thus large number of our mid
dle-aged people are inyalids. They have ac
cumulated money and retired rich, and de-
vote themselves to the business of nursing an
overworked and debilitated frame.
The results Of medical investigation anc
the progress Of science cause fewer diseases {,
terminate fatally, and protect the lives of th'
constitutionally feeble. We have, therefore
more invalids than in the days of simpler ha
bits, when the community was made up of th,
sick and s0eH. A very large number belons
to class who are neither sick ncr well. 1t i
difficult, therefore, to define a condition o
health. The majority Of mankind go on thei
way, complaining, from the cradle TO tn
grave How few there are who have no ma
lady, acquired or inherited, which expose
them TO illness. How few there are who's
stomach and brain bear the labor which i
rolled upon them, without furnishing evi
dence of uneasiness? Stand at the corner o
some crowded thoroughfarc; inquire of one
who knows every passer by, how many EN-
Joy perfect health; and if you are able tocol
lect the statistics, the result will surprise you
unless you have been accustomed To look II
this direction. Step IN the gallery oi tn
church in which you worship; run your ey
along the pews; examine each countenanc'
and You win find, alas very few upo
whom the cares of life do not wear heavil,
or who do not secretly suffer under som
of the many ills (which flesh is heir to-"
the period of youth, all the functions of tll
body are usually well performed lie no
scarcely knows he has stomach, who, durin
most of the years of his life, afterwards, pc
haps, must consider carefully with regard
every dietetic indulgence. Who has n
looked back with wonder to the period Of
boyhood, when hatful Of apples, or pears,
plums, frequently disappeared under q
apron, especially when visiting forbi,ld'
ground, or when whole Afternoon. was Il
short to satisfy the love Of boisterous game
a quarter-hour of which would now exhau
all the physical energies ? But this pen,
Of youth-ever the most deiightsome and d
J most healthy-sometimes requires more tn
, natures efforts to sustain its vigor. Theeru
tive diseases of childhood leave the syste
| exhausted and feeble requiring stimulants