The daily gazette., 1877-11-05
A CURE FOR INTEMPERANCE


Liebig that the use of cod-liver oil would
have tendency to promote distate for
alcoholic stimulants. According to the
same authority many people have found
they could take wine with animal food,
but not with farinaceous or amylaceous
nutrlment. A well-known man of sci
ence, Mr.. Charles Napier: has under
taken so test these assertions, and the
results of his experiments are set forth in
a paper read before the physiological sec
tion of the British Association, and which
mas attracted much attention in Eng
land. i1i . ..g .r.., II1-o-- ~ .
The experience of Mr.. Napier's own.
family had furnished a seeming proof of
the accuracy of Liebig's statement. They
had for two years adopted a vegetarian
diet, land although brought up in the mode
rate use of alcoholic liquors now felt no
incliuation for them. More decisive eyi-
dence, however, was supplied by the ap-
plieation of the theory TO twenty-seven
cases, the more striking of which may
be briefly cited. The first instance is
of military officer, 61 years old, of an
aristocratic Scottish family who had con-
tracted habits of excessive whiskey drink
ing while on service with his regiment in
India. We are told that the custom wes
to eat scarcely any bread, fat or vege ia
bles, his breakfast consisting mostly of
salt fish, and his dinner almost wholly OF
roast meat. During the day he consult
ed from a pint to quart of whiskey, and
was not sober more than half his time.
By Napier's advice he was induced to re-
turn to the breakfast of oatmeal porridge
on which he had been brought up, and
to adopt dinner of which peas and beans
formed important Ingredients. He dos
not seem to have liked the change at first
and made the significant complaint that
he could not "enjoy his whiskey" as
much as formerly. About this time there
was panic among flesh eaters in Eng
land owing to The cattle plague, and CON
sequently, the whole family was put on
vegetarian diet. For some weeks the
husband grunlbled very much, but his
taste for whiskey gradually disappeared
and in two months from the time he be-
came an entire vegetarian he relinquished
alcoholic stimulants, and, according to Mr.
Napier, has moi. since returned to either
flesh or alcohol,
Another case which merits special no.
tice was that of gentleman of sixty who
for thirty five years, his outbreaks averr-
ging one a week. His constitution was
so shattered that he had great difficulty
in insuring his life. After an attack of
delirium tremens, which nearly eAded
fatally, he was persuaded to enter upon
a farinaceous diet, which, we are assur-
ed cured him completely in seven months
He seems to have been very thin at the
of the experiment, but by the
close of the period named had gained
twenty-eight pounds, being then of
about the normal weight for a person of
his height. We shall mention but one
other of the twenty-seven cases reported
by Mr.. Napier. 1t is that of an analy-
tical chemist 80 years of age, who is des-
cribed as person of some talent but of
habits. Upon Liebig's
statement being recalled to him he ex-
pressed an opinion that farinaceous food
would not suit his own constitution,
that he felt he had eaten moth
ing unless he dined largely upon flesh.
Tie consented, however, to test the sug-
gestion by months trial, His first din
ner, which consisted princpallg of ma
caroni, was eaten with little appetite, bu
he persevered, contriving to stimulate
desire tor food by vigorous outdoor ex-
ercises, and before the end OF six weeks
was a total abstainer.
1t is not pretended that these expel-
ments were numerous enough or per-
formed under such diverse conditions as
to completely demonstrate the truth of
Liebig's theory, but they certainly ind-
cate that substantial results may be ex-
pected from an exhaustive application of
them. Among the articles of food which
are specified by Mr.. Napier as preemi-
nent for antagonsm to alcohol are ma
haricot beans, dried peas, and
lentils, all of which should be well boil
ed, and favored with plenty of butter or
olive oil. The various garden vegetab ables
are said to be helpful, but diet mainly
of.them would not resist the ten
dency to intemperance so effectually as
one of macaroni and farinaceous food.
From this point of view, highly glutinous
bread would be of great utility, but it
should not be sour, such acidity being
calculated to foster that habit of alcoholic
drinking. A little remark may be ap-
piled to the use of sailed food.
Tu