The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-11-22
A CURE FOR 1N7EMPERANCE.
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have tendency to promote disIaste for
alcoholic stimulants. According to the
Same authority many people had found
they could take wine with animal food,
but not with farinaceous or amylaceous
nutriment. A we'll known man Of science,
Mr.. Charles Napier, has undertaken to
test these assertions, and the results of
his experiments are set forth in paper
read before the physiological section of
the British Association, and which has at
tracted much attention in England.
The experience of Mr.. Napier's own
family had furnished seeming proof OF
the accuracy of Liebig's statement, They
had for two years adopted vegetarian
det,and although brought up in the mod
crate use of alcoholic liquors now felt no
inclination for them. More decisive ev-
idence, however, was supplied by the APP
pliCation of the theory to twenty sew
en- cases, the more striking Of which may
be briefly cited The first instance is that
of a military officer, 81 years old, of an
aristocratic Scottish family, who had con-
tracted habits of excessive whisky
drinking while on service with his regi
ment in India. We are told that his Gus.
tom was to eat scarcely any bread, fat, or
vegetables, his breakfast consisting most
ly Of salt fish, and his dinner almost
wholly ofroast meat. During the day he
consumed from pint to a quart of whis-
key, and was not sober more than half
his time. BY Napiers advice he was in.
duced to return 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 does 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 that time there was panic among
flesh eaters in England owing to the cat
tie plague, and consequently, the whole
family was put on vegetarian diet For
some weeks the husband grumbled very
much, but his taste for whiskey gradual
ly disappeared, and in two months from
the time he became an entire vegetarian;
he relinquished alcoholic stimulants, and,
according to Mr.. Napier, has not since re-
turned to either flesh or alcohol.
Another case which merits special no.
tice was that ofa gentleman ofsixty who
had been addicted to incorporate habits
for thirty,fve years, his outbreaks aver
aging one week. His constitution was
so shattered that he had great difficulty
in insuring his life. After an attack of
delirium tremens, which nearly ended IA
tally, he was persuaded to enter upon
farinaCeous diet, which. we are assured,
cured him completely in seven months.
He seems to have been very thin at the
beginning Of the experiment, but by the
close of the period named had gained
twenty.eight pounds, being then of about
the normal weight for person of his
height. We shall mention but one other
of the twenty-seven cases reported by
Mr.. Napier. 1t is thar of an analytical
chemist, 32 years ofage, who is described
as a person of some talent but of intem-
perate habits. Upon Liebig's statement
beingrecalled to him, he expressed an
opinion that farinaCeous food would not
suit his own constitution, affirming that
he had eaten nothing unless he dined
largely on flesh. He consented however,
to test the suggestion by months trial.
His first dinner, which consisted princi-
pally of macaroni, was eaten with little
appetite, but he persevered. contriving
to stimulate desire for food by vigorous
out. door exercise, and before the end of
six weeks was total abstainer.
1t is not pretended that these expert
ments were numerous enough or per-
formed under such diverse conditions as
to completely demonstrate the truth of
Iiebigs theory; but they certainly indi-
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 pre.emi.
nent for antagonism to alcohol are maca.
roni, haricot beans, dried peas. and lem
tils, all of which should be we'll boiled,
and favored with plenty of butter or oil.
i've oil. The various garden vegetables
are said to be helpful, but diet mainly
composed of them would not resist the
tendency to intemperanCe 80 attectually
as one of macaroni and farinaceous food,
From this point of view, highly gluti-
nous bread would be of great utility. but
it should not be sour, such acidity being
calculated to foster the habit of alcoholic
drinking. Alike remark may be applied
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If we inquire the cause of vegetari-
ans alleged disinclination to alcoholic
liquors, we find that the Carbonaceous
starch contained in the macaroni, beans,
or oleaginous aliment, appears to render
unnecessary, and therefore repulsive, car
bon in an alcoholic form. Liebig affirms
distinctly that alcohol and fat oil mutual
4 ly impede the secretion of each other
through the skin and lungs. 1t is certain
that nations living on diet composed
largely of starch, such as the rice-feeding
populations of the tropical East, are less
given to Drunkenness than are rneat-eat-
ing communities. Late statistics have
shown that the flesh eating people of the
north of France consume a large amount
of alcohol per head, nearly as much in
deed as the inhabitants Of any part Of
Europe. Now it is observed that in Nor
mandy and Picardy the bread is very
generally raised with vinegar, and there
is reason to believe that one class of fer
mented root attracts another. Finally,
it is pointed out by Mr.. Napier, as mat
ter of common experience, that taste
for spicey, condiments and butchers
meat is apt to be coupled with fondness
for alcoholic liquors, whereas taste for
plain favored vegetables is associated
with liking for fats and oils. And here
he refers to several persons within the
circle of his Acquaintance who were in
the habit of taking wine daily when eat
ing butchers meat, but who are constrain.
ed to forego the indulgence, partially or
wholIywhen living on farinaceous diet
Under the new circumstances the action
ofthe stimulant seems to be too irritating
to be borne without great inconvenience,
producing, as it does, sleeplessness, head.
ache and even nausea. We need not say