Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-10-05
a Physician. Experience in Drinks. /.

DIR. Dixon of the Scalpel, In one of hi re-
cent articles on lager beer and it's mparative
intoxicability, gives the following account of
his own experience in drinks:
We began to drink early-a few days after
birth-and we have been at it ever since. We
did not begin exactly on grog, or tea, or coffee
though we have been told by our brethren
they think we could have stood il even thus
early. We are told we took to the latter, and
the use of wine very kindly; it was n constitu-
t,onsl habit we derived from our progenitors.
We were always taught to view n drunkard as
filthy creature, and, once confirmed in the
habit, OF little consequence, and better dead
than alive; so we still think. We brought the
matter Of lager beer to the only test of which
it was susceptible, namely, its actual use; thus
we proceeded After the use Of Fslkirk. ale,
during tho winter season, when We desired it.
at twenty cents bottle, holding an ordinary
tumbler full. we became perfectly familiar
with its effects. We found it. after hard
days professional labor, mental and physical.
generous provocative to a good plain dinner
OF roast beef or steak, and a decided comfort
10 the inner man; if taken before dinner or at
night, we always suffered a headache or loss of
sleep; so we discontinued its use at those times
nor do we now use 1t during spring or summer,
reserying it only for the coolest weather, when
we can breathe it away, and not feel it in our
head In the spring and fall months We use
Philadelphia ale, but as soon as the summer
opPiVaches, We lhNdllaDly ma that article
either drugged or liquored mp 20 the fuddling
point then we stop it, and take to claret,
which never affects the head-as we use it
possibly because We never take enough, as in
our humble opinion, all the brains a man has
especially If he knows them to be moderate in
quantity, he had better keep in good working
order, if he gets his living by surgery We
take black tea IL the morning for its ex-
citing and sustaining properties-n0t In the
evening, because It's exciting property would
keep Us awake all night; green tea is yery
delicious and very intoxicating, and we never
use it, because we know it to be so. Coffee
we love dearly, and used in our youth to
be coffee sot. We left it off because it
had nearly destroyed our digestion, aud
gave US violent pafpitatiOns Of the heart: our
nervous system could not stand it; neverthe-
fess, we love il excessively still, as our nose
informs Us when We smell it, but we never use
IL. Now for the srpeTimentUm crHcis. Fall
kirk ale, costing twenty cents for a small pint,
dpss not produce any swimming in the head
o. confusion of ideas-although we know it
contains spirit, because if it did not, 1t would
not answer our purpose. Ciaret, about half-a-
pint, or much depressed, pint-eostng three
shillings-we find Just about as generous
stimulant as Fslkirk ale. We are brought to
strong doubt Of the summer Philadelphia ale
rs an honest article, by the test of price; it
only costs seven cents, and will make a mans
hesd swim, and his eyelids droop as quick,
and its effect will last as long, as the vilest
kind Of lager-beer; so we set that down in
summer, as drugged or liquored. Lager-beer
costs three cents, to six, differing in price ac-
co7ding to the getting up Of the place where it
II drunk Now, couple of glasses will pro-
duce more effect than either Of the others; one
Is quite enough to be felt sensibly over the
eyes, and Is apt to be followed by headache.