The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-10-02

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When the session was over, Mr.. Clay
offered bis hand, and they had a brief
but cordial interview. ND
Salvation of the IntemPerate.
IFrom the Rural New YOrker.l
We have been asked to state, through
the Rural, whether We know Of any.
remedy for habitual iutoxication. The
Zone who makes this request writes
al have dear friend whom I wish to
save, active, intelligent and social
worth saving. 1 pray YOU aid me if
you can"
Very gladly would we render assist
ance not only in this case, but in thou
sands of others where noble and worthy
men are wrecking themselves. But We
fear it is beyond our power. We do
not know of anything which viii act as
a substitute, while destroying the sp-
petite for Intoxicating drink. Such
nostrums have been advertised, if we
remember rightly, though when and
where we cannot now. recall They
cannot have proved of much utility,
else they would be well known and
eagerly sought for.
When the system has become habit
uated to stimulus, of any kind, the
demands it makes therefor are importu-
nate in the extreme. And they will
not long be satisfied with other than
that specially craved. Strong coffee has
stood in lieu Of alcohol momentarily,
but hardly longer. Physicians have
prescribed a variety of drugs to those
who would cease the use of opium, but
almost invariably without any effect.
As the appetite for strong drink is an
unnatural one, so are its manifestations
unnatural A man hungry for food,
merely, viii be appeased equally wheth-
er you give him one kind or another;
a man hungry for strong drink is not SO
easily dealtwith.
We have Just read, with deep and
painful interest, new book on "The
Opium Habit" noticed under the ap-
lpropriate head. The authors account
Of his own successful attempt to for
swear opium is very suggestive. 1t
shows that the great essential to
change Of any habit however strong,
lis a resolute Will Not all men possess
Ithis,-would that they did! The saliva
ton of those Incorporate ones whose
wills are strong, should never be despair
ed Of But it may be asserted that such
never come to need saving. We think
they do. Imperceptibly to themselves
their appetites gain the mastery. Then
kindly words and the help of kindly |
hands may arouse dormant energies.
Pride may be awakened, ambitions may
be revived, the man may come to him
self again. yt
For poor, weak, yacillating souls it
does sometimes seem that there is no
hope. They rise only to fall again.
Such we believe need to be taken away
from themselves. Placed where their
unstable resolutions can be subjected to
no damaging influences, they may grow
strong. Herein is their salvation,
strength. An 0pium-Cure is planned
in the book before mentioned, which is
doubtless much needed. Inebriste Asy
lums already exist, and have wrought
a good work. Men have come out Of
them to ornament society, who were
once society's curse. Some have gone
back to their old ways, it is true, after a
time, but ouly under sore temptation
and in the belief that they could yield
a little and not all One such died
near US, very recently, victim to this
fatal delusion. He was uncommonly
gifted. Time and again had his reso-
lutious to refrain from intoxicating
drinks been broken. Finally a sojouTh
of some months in the Inebriate Asylum
at Binghamton effected an apparent
For a year he was q new
man. Then be yielded to the solicita-
tions Of false friends TO take "just
glass" and was ruined. One Sabbath
bis fingers were laid upon organ keys
with touch almost angelic; the next
he was filling drunkard's grave.
Concerning the treatment of patients
in Inebriate Asylums we aye not fully |
Opium-eaters, as set forth
IN the plan alluded to, are to be cured
by degTees,-decreasing the amount of
opium taken each day or week. That
this is the proper way to treat opium
patients has been well sttssted. Ha-
bitusl drunkards may require similar
Sudden Withdrawals Of that
which the system has come to feed up
on often result in delirium tremeDs and
death. But whatever the treatment
The end aimed at is total abstinence.
short of this will save. There
ean be no tampering, no halfway work. /
In thousands Of saddeniDg instances 1t {
has been found that the appetite for !
alcoholic liquoH; once formed, is never
entirely eradicsted. 1t exists within !
.he .uaU, and if even slightly grstifed i
nay rend him worse than could any /
ieyPl devils. eJ
Tots' abstinence, then, is the only {
salvation for the Incorporate, and in it t
les the only real safety for the temper T
.Le. No man ever yet set out with the q
deliberate intention Of making drunk
lrd of himself Mea are not generally
ools; they are simply weak. Yet /
weak ones, who take an occasional glass '
# sparkling beverage and fall, may be s
trOng enough to take none at all, and $
70 through life honored and doing q
yood. Which IS wiser,-the man who t
.uus much risk and gains nothing, or c
he one who runs no risk and gains O
nucb \