The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-03-17
ntcinperance.
T., VIRGIL W. rrAxcnArp. NJ. u.

EN VIRGIL W. DIANcifARD. MD.
lnicmpcrance is mnlIilolm in itS l,l.,-
>cs of expression. but in its root COL
-isi> of a single. well defined principle.
lis essential principle. or root. strike,
deeply into the soil of human nature.
from which n great variety Of fatal
growihs shoot up,tO bear luxuriant fl1iif~
of misery, degradation and ruin.
The root of intcmpcrancc. with lis in
Vulnerable iibcrs penetrating widcI
and deeply the soil of human nature. i
the real curse to civilization and the hu-
man race. rather than the uprising
Shoots that bear the pcrnicious fatal
fruits. To cXtcrminalc the thistle from
the fertile soil. ii is not sufficient to lop
Oft single uprising stalk, but it is nee
cssary TO pluck up or destroy the ROOT
that IS the real cause and source of the
evil.
Every nation. civilized or barbarou,.
is addicted TO the Use of one or more
poisons that produce upon the human
system certain specific effect that i,
expressed in the term stimulation.
The American nation is to-day using
three poiSons for This purpose. viz: to
bacco, alcohol and opium.
The American nation pays annually
for the tobacco il consumes five hun
dred millions of dollars: for alcohol
about three hundred and fifty millions OF
dollars; for opium abont two hundred
millions of dollars; making an aggro-
gale of over one thousand millions OF
dollars annually. Now each of these
poisons is in the highest sense of the
word an enemy 10 human health. ply
steal, intellectual and moral: and 10 HIT
man prosperity and development. Social.
financial and political. 1t is safe to a,.
sumo. that within the American nation.
the natural average term of human en-
istance i, shortened at least one third.
and the average intellectual and moral
development decreased at least one half
by The deadly effects of these poison..
How small the actual comparative loss
TO the nation III property and human
life and development during the war.
in the recent rebellion. TO its actual loss
during the past eight years from the
cost and effects of these poisons.
The trouble is, the public mind liter
ally fails to measure and comprehend
the almost infinite proportions of loss.
disease. degradation and ruin that arise
from the present almost universal Use
of brain stimulants.
Three out of five, of the entire male
population of the nation above the ace
of twenty wears, are addicted to the use
of tobacco.
Over one half of the entire adult pop
ulation of the nation are addicted to the
use of alcohol or opium.
In the aggregate. the actual loss in
money. in physical, intellectual and
moral development, joined to these ter
rible forms of disease, physical. intel
lectual and moral. that result from thr
use of these deadly poisons. compose /,
picture with proportions and feature
more terrible and appalling than any
other that was ever presented for con-
| temptation 10 tl.o human IiIfuu. IT. i
the greatest problem ever presented to
the human reason: the loss of aIthousand
million of dollars and the premature
death of hundreds of thousands of I'M
man beings annually in the American
nation, is the issue at stake. | answer.
strike at the root of the evil and the So
! luton Of the problem is both possible
and practicable. The root of the evil
lies in the almost universal demand for
brain stimulants. II is not tobacco. If
is not alcohol, it is not opium that sing
ly or collectively constitute the evil or
curse, but it is demand within the hn-
man system for brain stimulation.
As human reason contemplatcs the
terrible picture of loss and ruin rcsul-
ting from the effects of brain stimula
ton it should seek the cause, the reason
why that the human system at such Il
fearful cost seeks the fatal effect Nav
not this almost universal demand in the
human system be supplied by some ma
tural means that will enhance and clc-
vate, rather than degrade and destroy:
BY something that will energize. build
and adorn, rather than cripple. ,lesolalc
and destroy?
This is the great problem of the nine
teenth century.
Always bear in mind that the evil OF
intempcrancc docs not consist in the
use of brain stimulants, but in the de
mand within the human system for the
effects of brain stimulant. Remove
this demand and tobacco, alcohol and
opium, either singly or collectively.
would become harmless.
am confident that the solution oflhc
problem of intemperancc lies cntirel,
within the field of dictetic science.
Brain stimulants temporarily suppl,
the place of brain and nerve food.
Feed the brain with requisite supply
of proper food and the demand for a
poisonous substitute will cease.
In this age of intense intellcctul activ-
ity the waste of the brain and nervou,
tissues in the masses is not adequately
supplied by the present popular dietec-
tic system. Fat and muscle forming
food Is the rule, and nerve and brain
building material the exception. Nerve
and brain building food should to day
be largely in excess of fat and muscle
forming elements.
The brain wastes, that the current of
thought may flow the same as the zinc
plate during telegraphic communica-
ton. Proper food alone can supply
this waste, and until the brain of the
nineteenth century is fed with re0ui-
site supply of proper food TO meet the
inevitable waste resulting from intense
intellectual activity, the human system
will find in stimulating brain poisons
that temporarily supply the place of
brain food, that temporary vigor and
eXcitation that is at present purchased
at such fearful cost to the Happiness.
prosperity and development ofthe hui
man race.
Middlebury, Feb. "a, 1877.