The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-13
Sc Fast Living"

The expression OF east living" has passed
into the language Of common life. when
.Yast trot.ing" on q race course is spoken
of, the watches OF the judges determine pre-
| cisely what is meant by "2.l7" or "2.4O," as
10 time and to distance. The horses which
| perform these feats OF speed are, In the long
intervals between the races, moderately ex-
ercised, carefully groomed, and, it may al
most be said, ~affectionately nursed. The
great object OF the owners OF the horses is
to keep them in such sound condition that
upon occasion they may be able to do won
ders upon the race course, without injury to
their soundness and vital condition. "Fast
shorses" In the good hands of kind and con-
siderate owners, are not among the short
lived OF their species.
But siast men" are their own proprletors,
and will neither accept advice, nor submit
to restraint or discipline. What 'tfast living"
among men means, has, like fast running"
among horses, been reduced to a sclentihc
measurement. Two eminent psychologists
in Great Britain recently read before the
Royal Society the result OF experiments, con-
tinued for fourteen days, upon q human SUBJ
ject. When the man was first taken in hand,
while 10 a normal condition, using no alco-
holic beverages, hi5 heart. beats in o day
amounted to one hundred and six thousand.
Under alcoholic treatment-not inten1pe-
rance, as it is called, but moderate drinking
on the first day the heart-beats increased
four per cent. On the last day OF the alco-
holic regimen the heart-beats had increased
ND to twenty-five per cent. The throbs were
at the rate OF one hundred and twenty-seVen
thousand per day. And when brandy was
introduced into the rotations, the heart
beats went up to one hundred and thirty-one
thousand per day. Carefully noting all the
circumstances and qualifications, the calcu-
lation was made that when The alcoholic
stimulus was at it's maximum, one-afth more
work was imposed upon the heart than under
its natural and healthy action.
1t will be observed that in these figures
there is no attempt at sensation or exagge-
ration. The statement is not made by
earnest advocates Of temperance, aiming at
making an impression on the mind or an ap-
peal to fear. 1t is the calm statement OF
scientific men, aiming only to reach true re-
suits; and il there is any exception to be
taken to their verdict, it must be, only, that
upon one man, as a subject, conclusions re-
speeding all men cannot be definitely made.
One thing, however, is certain, that In every
case the person who takes undue stimulus
'lives faster" be the percentage more or
less, and by overworking impairs his vital
functions. II it be answered that observa-
ton shows that some hard drinkers live
long lives, the response ia, ''true some do,
s'but very few" and OF these what sort OF
lives are they With intellects impaired,
and seli-reliance destroyed; with ability for
continuous exertion taken away; with am
bition displaced by indifference to character
or consequences, and with hope lost in sot-
fish despair, existence cannot be called hte
in any true sense. 1t is also 10 be remem-
bered that a MAJ under abnormal excite
ment gets no rest. There are certain OF the
mental, as we'll as the bodily powers, which
have a continuous action independent OF the
will. In the healthy subject these may be
said just to ''keep alive" during sleep, pre-
serving the vitality Of the body in a sound
condition for action when one wakes. But
the fever.tossed patient, and the over-stimu.
lated ''fast liver" find but little rest or re-
freshmenti in sleep. The pulses go bounding,
the liis-blood beats surging on, and the re-
cuperation of slumber is lost in the f!ful
fever OF over.heated blood.
To the verdict Of the philosophers may be
added the testimony OF a witness who was
made the subject OF subsequent experiment.
al tests. The pulse beats in this case are not
before US. Bnt the testimony of the wit
ness, a hardy Scotch soldier, is conclusive
upon the moral and mental effects OF brandy.
It could not be better stated or in clearer
language. 'The brandy" ne said, ''served
.'to give him q kind Of spirit, which made
chin think he could do great deal OF work;
s.but when he cameto dot he found he was
sqess able than he Mought." There is o
whole temperance lecture in that testimony.
It dlsposes completely OF the whole argu-
ment in favor OF spirit-stimulated effort, and
comedies with the experience Of all who have
tried il,