Weekly Trinity journal. [volume] (Weaverville, Calif.) 1857-1972, 1868-05-23
Why Men Like to Drink.

Why Men Like Drink.
The Greek root of the word intoxicate means
poison. Whoever says man is intoxicated says
he is poisoned And it is true. Give part OF
glass of ordinary spirits to child three or
four years old, and the child is, in twenty MIN
utes, in congestion fit, and probably dies. 1t
operates precisely like strychnine, arsenic, or
any other deadly drug. Commence by giving a
child a thimbletul at time; and gradually in
crease the amount, and you may indurate him so
that he will swallow as much at time as would
kill him at first. You may begin with any other
poison and do the thing. Our physical
framework is constructed with reference to this,
to enable it 10 stand large amount of any
deadly substance. There is nothing peculiar in
this action of alcohol There is nothing in this
but the universal law that all poisons destroy
the susceptibility of the human frame.
Why does like drink liquor? Not
because it has good taste, but because it
hilarates his nervous system. The man takes
his first glass of liquor. 1t goes to his stomach.
Now there is not single human stomach,
that of any animal created on this earth,
that ever did or can digest drop of alcohol.
The moment ii falls into tie stomach every vital
organ recognizes the presence of a deadly
| emy. 1t is precisely if lion were thrown
into cage of tigers and every tiger were to re-
cognize the lion as his deadly enemy. The
stomach cannot digest it and it cannot remain.
All the organs assist in throwing it off, and the
grand struggle of every vital organ to rid the
stomach of this poison is the very thing which
the perverted senses recognize rs erhHaration
If man, standing on the moon, could have
telescope OF sufficient power to enable him to
view objects the earth, and could have looked
upon US during the late civil war; and have seen
dimly through the glass, the movements of i'm
mense bodies of men, he would have SAID
{. This nation has an immense population; there
is tremendous outpouring of the people +; this
nation is in state of extraordinary prosperity.'
Precisely so the man. sensoral the point where
the nerves of sense concentrate, recognizes in
this desperate effort of the vital organs 10 get
rid of an enemy. sense OF strength and eXhlla-
ration in place Of the langour and feebleness he
felt just before But in IL little while, when
ture has, by all her efforts disposed Of this poi
son, the sinks down into his former condI-
ton, and IL great deal below it. Nature has
made her superior struggle; she has got rid OF
the poison but she has tired herself in the eff
fort The next time nature makes the same
struggle, but she has not the strength.
The second glass does rot make the man feel
good The more man drinks, the more he has
to drink to attain a certain condition. He has
to take more and more. Nature turns constantly
to rid herself of it, but by and by becomes tired
out and gives it up. There men who not
very perccptiby affected by liquor. 1t does not
make them drunk 1t does not hurt them, they
say. But it does hurt them. | never knew
man who drank Il good deal, without becoming
intoxicated, whom liquor did not kill at last.
And for physiological reasons. If "A man will
take poison, it is better to get rid Of it than
keep it in the system. Drunkenness is one of
Gods infinite mercies, sent to help poor, mis-
taken. human beings ~ get rid OF the conse-
quences of their inquty.
What should do depends largely upon
what able to do. 1t is not easy fly in
the face of public opinion. Laws will, after all,
be mainly reflection of the moral condition of
the people. They will always be a little better,
but not much better Ii yoa should say that no
one should do Il bad thing, it would be useless,
because human nature in the development to
which we have reached, would not sustain such
law. Public sentiment is advancing. 1t does
not allow to make a parade of vices which
were once tolerated The time will come when
men will not be licensed to sell alcoholic liquors,
when grog-shops will be where gambling houses
are now out Of sight.-Horace Greeley.
BRAIN WoRK.-Iard study does not Of itself
shorten life, but does OF itself tend to increase
the longevity of man. When hard students die
early, it will be found that in sonle way they had
fallen into the habit of violating some of the
laws of nature, or began study with some inner
tied infirmity. The pursuit of truth is pleasur-
able, it is exhilarating, it is exhating, and pro-
notes serenity. Of all men, natural philoso-
pliers average the longest lives. The great, the
governing reason IS, IN auulllOn TO lhe ABOVE,
that their attention is drawn away from their
appetites, their qualifications are not in that di-
recton, hence they neither gournands,
drunkards nor licentlous. Sir Isaac Newton had
: always to be reminded that his dinner wait
ing; the call to eat is often an unwelcome one
to literary men they literally eat TO live, and
the process Of dining is often gone through as q
} task. Many hard students have become miser-
1 able dyspeptics, and have died while yet in their
S prime but the tormenting disease was brought
on by oyereang, by eating TOO fast, or by return
ing to their studies too soon after hearty or
: hasty meal, thus drawing to the brain the nerv-
Gus energy that ought to have been expended Oh
the stomach. in aiding it to prepare the food fol
nourishing the system, and not beng so pre-
pared, it - lays heavy" feels like lead, or in
duces other discom.orts which increase in intens
n ity and duration, until life becomes burden
: and 1t failure. The French Academy is perhap;
the most learned body in the world, and all age'
of the younger members average so to 10. Mos
. of the clever men of France have in this year o
h 1851 reached great age. Of the members o
the French Academy, NJ. Vnnet is So N. dt
Segur, Sc; de Pongervile, 76; Lebrun. 81 Vii
i lemain, 76 Lamarting, &c; Flourene, 7o;
Guizot, 49, NJ. Thiers, 69 Berreyr, IA; and The
n Duke de Brogiie, 50. This list might be indef
; initely extended TO all nations-Lord Brougham
Humboldt, John Wesley and many others. The
circumstances most favorable to longevity
d among bra.n-w orker5 is the spending consul
s. erable portion of carly life in outdoor activities
: travel and the like, and then by a temperate and
y plain mode of living, the brain will work advan
: tageously until past fourscore years. - Ua1
d Journal of Heath.
CURIOUS incident recently occurred III Chlh"'
/ illustrative of the progress which liberal lue'' S
are making there. Some time ago Chils . ni.'-, a
e of great learning and requirements puoiisi al
: book containing reference to the lLses " af
the great men that fourished SINCE 'nt ne cnnrge
WASHINGTON was placed at the head Of the list.
tHn hook Was condemned and the writer
h.p;shed for fifteen years. He bas recently
however been recalled, and IS nov az
= of the Foreign Department "a A.