Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-22
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
icosTRlBurfD BY TIE woMAs's TEMPERANCE usroy

| lIoNfRlBurE u BY IRE WOMAS's TEMPERANCE UNION
| CURIOUS STATISTICS OF TOTAL ABSTINENCE IN
THE ARCTIC REGIONS.
| Among other results of the Arctic expedi-
| ton, some curious statistics have been OBJ
tanned with reference to the question of total
| abstinence. The abstainers who went out
with the expedition were SIX, viz: William
Malloy, Adam Ayles, William Cove, Joiner,
and self, OF the Alert, and Henry Getty of the
Discovery.
There were two pr three other seamen who
joined the temperance cause during the COM
mission, and it is only lair to state that the
nOvlces suffered from scurvey like the rest of
the crew. Alalloy was not employed on any
long journeys, but was repeatedly out with
the supporting parties. lie states that the
sleighing parties of the Alert suffered great
er privations than those from the sister ship
They had pushed beyond the limit OF AM
nal life and their supplies of RENDERS and
musk OK were soon exhausted. They were
consequently obliged to subsist entirely upon
ship stores, and this enforced abstinence
from animal food, made them in a special de
gree susceptible to scurvy. On the termina-
lion of the sleighing duties at the end of
July, the abstainers found that they had sur
passed the remainder of the Alerts crew in
the number of days sleighing performed
On this occasion Ayles had been out / 10 days
and Alnlloy 9S, land it remarkable fact
the latter remarks,S That neither of us was
attafsxed by scurgey, but enjoyed good health,
and were only weakened by our arduous du-
ties in sledging work" Adam Ayles is a tee
totaler OF many years standing. He was not
only out tor 10 days sledging, but on one
occasion he was out no less than 81 days from
the ship at n time. On this occasion sour
Wy had attacked the party, and had gained
on them so suddenly that with the exception
of Lieut. Aldrich and Ayles the whole of the
men (seven i'll number) were in helpless
condition. Dodge and Mitchell still managed
to struggle 10y the side of the sledge, but the
other lnvalids, who had held ont until the
last moment were obliged to be carried. We
have already stated that of the two who
were free from scurvey, Adam Ayles was one
The other was Lieut.. Aldrich, who, although
not an abstainer, was next door to one, dilu-
ting his rum more than any other member OF
the expedition.
During the whole of the sledge journeys
Ayles ate and slept well, and bore the cold
even better than those who were accustomed
to take stimulants. The rest of the rurty
had double allowance of grog, A above
proof, before turning in They also smoked
Il good deal, but for his part, Ayles says he
neither drank nor smoked, and he took care
that his allowance Of erog was stopped on
Joining the ship. Twice week there was
beer served out, which was considered
great luxury, as 1t occupied much room in the
travelling and was dealt ont very sparingly
He was never i'll better health Ill his life than
at the present time.
Henry Petty, teetotaler of IL years
standing was the only total abstainer i'll the
Discovery. He accompanied Captain Stcph-
,pn oil lic ell
it fell to his lot to act cook while they were
away from the ship. and he WAS thus Obliged
to get out in the cold for an hour aud half
in the morning, and for the same period in
the evening, he was most exposed 10 the frost
OF any man in the ship. He was sledging 60
days in all. On one occasion he accompanied
the Captain to the Alert, a distance OF some
80 miles, doing the journey III four days and
eight hours, and returning i'll three days and
a half lie had been medically examined on
Tuesday by the DIR. of the ship with the
rest of the crew, and he learned that he had
never been treated for scuIvey. lie had only
suffered from cut in the hand. He bellev
ed that his immunity from disease was en-
tirely owing to teetotalism. He had slept
well throughout the campaign, and had rel
ished his food. lie had also escaped frost
bite
Cove, it seems, had been an abstairor
until he was twenty-oue years old, but III an
ungunrled munt..t wh.l' on the sledge IOur-
neys he succumLrI to- the temptation and
persuasion of his cuniH,uIuns and took to
grog Previous to breaking his pledge Cove
states that he could -nt us well US any one.
In fact, after du,odllnB his portion, he WAS
in the habit of looking about for more, but
no sooner had he taken to Grog drinking,
than he found his appetite to tnil, and he Was
deprived OF the refreshing sleep which he
had formerly enjoyed. He was the only
Good Templar who joined the expedition that
was attacked with scurvey, and for this he
wns no doubt indebted to his unfaithfulness.
He gavo stmulants, he remarks fair trial.
and he is now convinced that 1t was the grog
which did the mischief.
1t may be noticed that the testimony of TIE
whole ships companies doctors and others
included is unanimous and conclusive
against the serving out of stimuants during
the day They emphatically state that no
work can be done upon the grog. but many
OF them seem to cling to the belief that II
glass at night was rccuperative agent, and
fitted them for the ia,igues OF the morning
DIR Colnn, the senior medical officer on
board the Alert speaks very favorably of total
abstinence as exhibited during the expedi-
ton and his forthcoming report will possess
Ii uch interest London Times