The Democratic advocate., 1871-08-10
miscellaneous.
Stimulants.


looked upon us such, where we in the
city not constantly in our every day
existence in a certain lack OF supply,
so that to us, and more particularly to
those living 10 crowded rooms and
streets, week or two in the pure air of
the country becomes the most powerful
stimulus to the restoration Of health /;
hence the extreme value of the country
hospitals for the reception of those 10
whom impure air has produced disease
or in whom the shock Of an accident or
surgical operation cannot be recovered
from without the stimulus of purer air
than can be found even in our well-ycn
tilated city hospitals.
The air of elevated regions is more
truly stimulant, producing its effect, no
doubt, by quickening aud deepening
the respiration, and Fastening the cir
culation of the blood through the lungs,
brain and other organs. The effect Of
mountain air is to exhilarate the spirits,
aad induce feeling OF buoyancy aud
strength which is most pleasurable. In
ordinary conditions Of health, apart
from any special call upon the vital en-
ergies, in persons taking reasonable
amount of mental and physical exercise,
and enjoying an equally reasonable
amount Of rest, there is no actual neces-
sity for taking stimulants Of any kind I;
but, in civilized countries, it is so uni-
versally customary 10 take stimulants
10 more or less moderate quantities, that
it is now looked upon as a natural
habit.
There is no habit which is so dispos-
cd to grow upon one us that of drink
ing. Even water-drinking, apparently
so harmless. becomes, with some peo-
pie. most pernicious habit they can
not exert themselves in any way without
drinking water; they are regularly in
the habit Of drinking many glasses Of
water daily between meals. This habit
is an injurious QUE it greatly weakens
digestive power, hastens waste, aud
very probably tends to produce corpu-
lency. Unfortunately however, water.
drinking is far less frequent habit
than beer.drinking, which, in quantities
very far short Of intoxication, is much
more injurious. By water. drinking we
dilute our tissues, by beer drinking We
contamiuate them yet how very com
mon it is to meet with people who never
miss the opportunity oftaking glass Of
beer--independently ofthat which they
take ut meal time When train stops,
or coach changes horses, they rush to
the counter; ut races, fairs, cricket
matches, they take suudry glasses.
We constantly meet such men; they
are what is called temperate, frequently
highly Industrious aud intellectual. The
physician often meets them; they come
under his notice ut about middle age,
miserable hypochondriacs, suffering from
all varieties of indigestion, goat and
liver disorders, and would be astonished
to know that years have been taken off
their lives principally by the effects of
habit they have acquired SO gradually
and regard so lightly.
A still more dangerous habit than
the last, acquired in the same Gradual
manner, aud INDUCED 10 often with the
same Ignorance Of its results, is that OF
taking small quantities of spirits, either
"neat" or with little water, at inter
walls during the day-what is vulgarly
called "nipping" This habit is most
common with coach drivers, hackmen
aud conductors. They arc not drunk
ards, though in too many instances they
ultimately become so.
We have often sat by the side of the
driver Of coach, merry fellow we'll
known all along the road, exchanging
word or a joke with every one. He
stops some Eve or six times 10 course
Of fifteen miles, and usually has a small
glass of spirits each time; he commonly
calls for glass Of gin and water, cold,
with defiant emphasis on the last
word, as much as to say, "I'm none Of
your fiery liquor drinkers" Poor fel.
low! hs is irremediably damaging his
health as surely as if he chose the most
ardent liquor distilled, but perhaps more
slowly. The physician again meets these
men, they die inhospitals Of liver aud
kidney diseases. Tho immediate, or at
least the primary reason for indulging in
this habit is the false idea that lit keeps
the cold out, !" whereas il has been proved
over aud over agnin that spirits, though
they temporarily cause sensation Of
warmth, actually lower temperature, and
hence tits that the unlucky ysnippe,s. have
so often 70 renew their stimulant. This
habit is also largely indulged in by
women, and becomes even more fatal
to thcm than It does to mon.
We have too frequently seen the
piseries Of debssoment, disease and nm.
timely death brought on by this habit,
not TO feel arespousibility in dealing with
the topic. A very few words viii suf.
fee upon the effects Of alcohol taken in
intoxicating quantities. Intoxicasion is
q temporary insanity, which is in itself