Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-03-20

old as drink itself, and are as prevalent
now as in Solomon's time. There are men
who honestly believe that alcoholic drink
is good for them; yet there Is not one Of
them who would touch II except as pre-
scribed medicine lift were not for its pleas
ant taste. The delusion touching its health
fulness grows out of the desire to justify
an appetite which may either be natural or
acquired. If man likes whisky or wine,
he likes to think that it is good for him,
and he will take some pains 10 prove that
1t is so, both to himself and others.
Now, alcohol is a pure stimulant. There
is not so much nutriment in it as there is
in chip. 1t never added anything 10 the
permanent forces of life. and never can
add anything Its momentary intensified
ton Of force is a permanent abstraction OF
force from The drinkers capital stock. All
artificial excitants bring exhaustion. The
physician knows this, and the simplest
mans reason is quite capable OF compre-
bending it. If any man supposes that dali
ly drink, even in small quantities, Is con-
ducive TO health, he is deluded. If he pos
sesses a sluggish temperament, be may be
able TO carry his burden without much ap-
parent harm, but burden il is, aud burden
1t will always be.
After a man has continued moderate
drinking long enough, then comes a change
"A demand for more drink. The old guam
have been insensibly undermined, clamor,
under the pressure of business for increas-
ed stimulation. 1t is applied, and tho ma
chine starts of grandly; the man feels
strong, his form grows pcrtly, and he works
under constant pressure. Now he is in a
condition Of great danger, but the delusion
is upon him that be is in no danger at all.
At last, however, drink begins to take the
place of food. His appetite grows feeble
and fitrul. lie lives on bis drink, and, of
course, there Is but one end TO this-viz !:
| death 1t may come suddenly, through
the collapse of all his powers, or through
paralysis, or ii may come slowly through
| atrophy and emacalion. His friends see
that he is killing himself but he cannot see
! 1t at all. lie walks in delusion from his
early manhood to his death.
A few weeks ago one Of our city physi-
clans publicly read a paper on the drink
ing habits of women. 1t was a thoughtful
| paper, based on a competent knowledge OF
facts. 1t ought to have been of great use to
those women OF the city who are exposed
to the dangers it portrayed, and especially
to those who have acquired the habits it
condemned. Soon aitcrward there appear
ed in the columns Of daily paper pro-
test from writer who ought TO be a good
deal more intelligent than he is, against the
DOCTORS conclusions. The health and
| physique OF the beer1rinking Englishwo-
man we're placed over against the health
and physique Of the water drinking Amer
lean women, TO the disadvantage OF the
| latter. The man Is deluded. 1t is not a
year since Sir Hepry Thompson, one OF
the most eminent medical men in England,
"a man notoriously beyond the reach OF
any purely Christian considerations, de-
clared against the beer-drinking of Eng
land on strictly sanitary gro lnds. Our lit
terateur declares that the Englishwoman
can outwalk her Ame lean sister. That
depends entirely upon the period of life
when the task is undertaken. The typical
Englishwoman who has stood by the beer
diet until she is more than forty years old
is too fat to walk anywhere easily out o.
doors, or gracefully within.
During our late civil war this matter o.
drinking for health's sake was thoroughly
tried. a stock OF experience and observa
ton was acquired that ought to have LASTED
for a century. Again and again, thousands
of times, was 1t proved that the man VIII,
drank nothing was the better man. He en-
dured more, he fought better, he came ou
of the war healthier than the man wht
drank. Nothingis more easily demonstra
Bile than that the liquor used by the two ar
mics, among officers and men alike, wa
an unmtigated curse TO them. 1t disturb
ed the brains and vitiated the councils O
7 the officers, and debilitated and demoral
lied the men. Yet all the time the delu
sion among officers and men was, tina
there was both comfort and help in whis
ky.
The delusions OF drink arc numberless
but there is one of them which stands i
the way of reform 80 decidedly that it call
for decided treatment. We allude to tn
notion that it is Il nice thing to drink mic
liquors or wines at ones home, TO offe
1
minister to good fellowship at every socia
, gathering, while 1t is a very different thin
) to drink bad liquor, in bad places, and |
large quantities. A man full of good win
, feels that he has right to look with cor
( tempt upNn the lrishman who is full
. bad whisky. 1t Is not a long time sine
r the election OF professor in British un
: verslty was opposed solely on the groun
: that he neither drank wine nor offered 1t
his friendsi and when, by a small major
5 Iy, his election was effected, the other pre-
0 fessors decided not to recognize him socia
= ly. There are thus Two men whom the:
! sticklers for wine despise-viz. the ma
who gets drunk on bad liquor, aud the ma
I who drinks no liquor at all. Indeed, the
regard the latter with hatred or contemI
5 which they do not feel for the poor drunl
= ard. The absolute aninIosity with wbic
l many men in society regard ono who
3 consclentiously opposed TO wine-drinkinI
. could only spring from deluslon In n
1 gard to the real nature OF their own habit
4 The sensitiveness of these people on tn
r. subject, however, shows that they suspe
Y the deluson of which they are the victim
/. TLey claim to be on the side of tempe
: auce. They deprecate drunkenness, an
S really don't see what Is TO be done about /
> They wish that men would be more ratloI