Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-14
The Pathology Of intemperaBce.
CHARLOTTE, Jan 4tb l-7o

T. the Editor o.. tie Fres Press and 7 mes
A series of free lectures, three il number.
has recently been gwen here by Dr. Blaneh
ard. Of Midi.ebury. Oh the physiology and
pathology of intemperance The views
presented were move. and Interesting The
craving for into1icants l. traced 10 5 de-
mand Tor mental stimulus, merely wauton
desire Oh the part Of many. but IL large
class induced by depletion Of brain pow
er, growing out Of inappropriate diet On
the one hand. by which the brain Is starved
for want of appropriate sustenance IN the
food, and Of intense men,a. activity % the
other
The young man IN schoo. OF college Tor
instance, J. called upon ior given amount
Of brain product. which implies the de-
structi0n OF g certain amount Of brain It's
sue. while no corresponding supply Is fur
nished and appropriated, and the brain,
fgurstiyely speaking, becomes poor and
lean The result Is nervous irritGbi.ity and
6 sense Of incspacitY That which for
highly yitalized brain would be pleasure
becomes task-slmost az impossibiliy
Tobacco i resorted TO for relief 1t sup
plies in some sort. for the time the place Of
brain nutrlment . il soothes the irritable /
nerves, and stimulates mental activity but I
only eIaggerates the evils il was invoked to
remove, and thus opens the way 20 the .
more powerful stimulus Of alcohol or opium. I
Thus persons Of great promise often break I
down ID health and prove failure. dlsap-
pointing their friends and themselves and
sinking into comparative imbeci.ity or hast
ening to ruin. under the goadings Of these
stimulants. W hat they need l. proper
brain food made efficient by proper physical
habits.
In the second lecture among other things.
was an interesting description Of the eircu-
lstory system and especially Of the cspia-
rie> The walls Of these minute vessels
seem endowed with g wonderful instinct, Sc
Letting with unerrIng accuracy from the
blood current with which they are IN con
tact, Just those elements needed for tie
up-bullding OF that particular tissue to
which they may belOng-muscular elements
for the muscles, brain elements for the brain,
&c Where these elements are wanting or
sparingly furnished, there must be cores
ponding want ofyitaiity and efficiency Their
Dfhce in throwing back the etste OF exhausted
into the blood stream. to be thrown
IF by the proper organs. was clearly eIh-
Dted and then he depicted 10 graphic
manner the results OF flooding these deli
late tubes with these intoxicating pOisOus,
imposing the double labor OF casting them
Tut OF the system, resulting first IN tunc-
ional, and at last IN organic disease
threatening the walls and thus dim finishing '
he calibre OF these minute and delicate
.hannels Of life, until the whole body be
,Omes elOgged and the tissues. especially
be nervous tissues. whose pulpY material
: most susceptible to their evil influence.
re in state of starvation. and man
ONES TO crave alcohol, as relief, with the
anne intolersble intensity with which one
Who is perishing from hunger or thirst cries
ut for water or bread.
What folly. then, to attempt to still these
rawlings by the pledge. or by the terrors Of
he law. The man should be arrested. but
ot be punished. otherwise than by sub
Getting him to the best medical care, and
reventing his resort to the insidiOus poison
7hich drinks of his life, while afiording
i'm temporary relief from the agonle~
Thich itself has wrought, and l. even now
Torking. while seeming to remove them.
The third and eq uAlly Interesting lecture
Tas upon tobacco poison. Yours, -
WLLIsToS. - Notwithstanding the dis
greesble weather. large audience greeted
resident Buckham, OF the l. v M. the