Litchfield enquirer., 1871-02-16

the parents heart, and what shall he do in such an emergency ? Take another case. What is to be done In social gatherings !? "As all men are not constructed on exact ly the same plan," what ought to be the rule of entertainment /? Ifa stimulant dose shall be provided for the guests. who is to be excluded on account of structural de- generacy
 It makes little difference whether this degeneracy be regarded as hereditary, or brought on by excessive indulgence of the sufferer. 'A man is man for all that" and should be cared for and saved if possible, and not helped on to degradation and ruin
 Would it not be better that ten men, not subject to this degeneracy, should suffer e little-make some sacrifice, rather than that one man should be led into danger by even the moderate use of wine and strong drink on such occasions ? A collation. in these days is no uncommon affair. The writer was among the guests at one, five years or more since, in large city. The guests were entertained in the reception room, by the free use of lemonade strongly impreg- mated with Santa Croix rum. On entering the hall, the tables were seen spread with things edible, the food that needs mastica- ton. Being waited on with this to satiety. with now and then a round of ''liquid food" accompanied with much parade and etiquette, wine in every variety, as we'll as distilled liquor, was profusely furnished. The mayor of the city presided. Speeches were made. Toasts were offered. Repeat 1 cd calls to drink to this sentiment and that were made. The presiding genius of the occasion seemed to be, as he really was, at home. He kept good order and time, both by exhortation and example. in ''gulping'' the liquid food in response to the senti- ments advanced. Now,we have no hesita- tion in saying that it would be we'll nigh impossible for young man who has any, thing of this cerebral craving for alcoholic liquor to resist the inclination to drink under such circumstances. Excess will most surely follow in case of the degener- ate, even if it does not among those who have no such craving. Must this state of things continue?
 Teetotalers and aquarians may indeed be forced to change their tactics, in the advocacy of the temperance cause, by this book. They may be compelled to admit that alcoholic liquors are poison ous, only when taken in large doses-that the danger lies wholly in excess yet the fact remains, that ''all men are not con- structed on exactly the same plan" and that the danger of excess is so great, owing to ' structural degeneracy' and "cerebral craving" that multitudes will drink to ex. cess, and so entire abstinence from the use of spirituous liquor, for persons in health, is, after all, the only eafe doctrine to incul- cate.
 The great necessity and argument for ab- stinence lies in the imminent danger of ex- cess.of crossing over the line from the stimulent to the narcotic use It is con- ceded that spirituous liquor, when used in such quantity as to intoxicate in any de- gree, is always poisonous, tending to structural degeneracy, until the man who indulges in it's use has lost self control and has become the slave of that cerebral or brain craving, from which few have hither- to recovered Now, where lies the antidote for this excess? Where shall we look for . remedy or preventive fron, this narcotic use, except in entire abstinence as gener- al,rule? The eating of no kind of food that requires mastication is attended with such danger. Now and then a man-may do himself harm by eating, and many may transgress the laws of health and "nature every time they go to the dinner table, "yet this cerebral craving or brain poisoning does not follow. The healthy man who in- dulges with regularity in eating what he likes, at the age of twenty-five years, is rarely inclined to greater indulgence, when he reaches the age of fifty. Not so with this liquid food, which is the product of fermentation and distillaticn. Hence it is fact full of warning against the moderate use of strong drink.
 Without attempting to controvert any part of the physiological theory or philoso- phy of this book as to the distinction be- tween the stimulant and narcotic use of al- coholio liquors, many reasons may be addu duced favoring the practice of entire absti- hence. One reason is the impure and adulte- rated condition of both fermented and dis titled liquor sold in the market. The au- thor of this book ignores this fact. He speaks only of pure Dine and alcoholic liq- uors and not . word of its poisonous impur- ity. ItiAAss been proved again and again that tbaKe is very little pure liquor to be obtained, Poisonous drugs are mixed with every kind of liquor known in the market, in order to increase the quantity at less cost by the gallon. The common belief is, that the poisonous nature of the liquor consumed accounts for the great preva- lo,oo oe 5rroLanaoo on1 fha fronuon& oacoo