National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-03-13
Causes of Degeneracy.

The following is the substance, in
condensed form, of the annual
address recently delivered before
the n. Y. Homeopathic Medical So
clety, by Dr. b. Cornell, president
OF that association. The subject is
the Degeneracy of Man, and his
treatment of it is at once instruc-
tive and suggestive, especially where,
near the close, he just lifts corner
of the curtain, concealing certain
transactions which he sternly de-
nounces as nothing but murder
The first great cause of degenera-
cy he held to be alcohol as a bever-
age. 1t began first to be used, SO
far as we know historically, at the
time of Noah, and has continued to
be used till to-day. The Arabs first
employed l. but as a paint, and he
thought that now many others were
in the habit of painting their faces,
and with the difference over other
paints, that the color increases the
longer it is Oh. The medical results
are sad. Alcohol cannot be used
without injury, in however small a
quantity. Step by step, in its con-
stant use, the partaker becomes
worse, until his enfeebled system is
destroyed by death. Tobacco and
opium injure many, but their use is
not extended so far Us that of the
cup, nor their power as strong
Opium, in the shape of laudanum,
paragoric, soothing syrup and other
drugs, makes great inrOads i'll the
ranks of children, to supply time for
absence to the nurse, or to enable
the mother to go out. Tobacco is
growing more and more used now
than before. Before the days of
Young America, few boys smoked
while their frames were not well
knit; but now small boys may be
seen going along the streets with ci-
gars in their mouths. How they
procured them he knew not. Over.
heated houses were an uncommon
thing two score years back, when
the wind whistled through the cram
nies of the wall, giving free ven
tilatiOn to the room, and injuring
the dwellers far less. Richly spiced
and cooked food, stimulating the
stomach beyond measure, is the
cause of many deaths and many
more illnesses. Tea and coffee he
regarded as wholly hurttul. Many
alkalies have been mixed among our
common viands, rendering them i'm
pure. He spoke of the fashion of
ladies' dresses. changing from one
style to another, but always inDurl-
Gus. Once the wasp waisted dress
was commonly worn, but has been
changed, TIL now the prominent alb
surdity is three straws tied together
at the top of the head, for which
they charge $50. Our schools are
wrongly conducted and built. with
hard benches for the scholars to sit
upon, a miserable school house to
cover their heads, and their educa-
ton finished in some boarding school.
Base ball he thought to be good,
and he was glad to see that it was
introduced into these schools. Yet
many useful things were omitted
for he recollected a school that he
had attended a few months ago.
The young ladies were taking q
walk. They left the school yard
marching two by two, as prim and
precise as soldiers, and walked ur
the street some fifty rods, crossed
over to the schoOl-yard door, and
went in Such was their exercise
and thus conducted. A reason, he
thought, for diseases of the skin
was vaccination, and he firmly be
lieved that it had done more harm
than good. The rheums, letters,
scrofulas and other cutaneous ills
had been much more common than
before. Lust also had been making
its victims, occasioned by the luXu
ries ard vices of the world. Abor
ton, its fruit, is sapping the strength
of the world, injuring the health o
the mother and killing the child. ]
has been estimated that One-eightl
of all the pregnancies in the coun
try are ended by artificial abortions
which are nothing but MURDER
The moral purity of the woman i
destroyed, and the world come
down lower in the scale.