Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-25
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
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ISTEMPERANCE AND DISEASE
There has always been, as far back as we
can read in the story Of human life, vast
amount of trifling with the resistless forces
OF nature. Whole nations have fallen be-
fore the inevitable action of laws unknown
or wantonly disregarded. Ignorance has
joined hands with Incidence and passion to
make havoc of the race. No where is this
more strikingly exemplifed than in the his
tory of the use of alcohol.
When alcohol was first discovered, its pro-
perties were but imperfectly ascertained
1t was not only after some centuries had
passed that 1t came to be regarded not only
as a means OF curing, but also of a preven-
tive against disease This theory once
started, rapidly gained ground, and probably
it was not till the beginning of the present
century that it began 10 be seriously ques-
toned by any large number of persons
Almost suddenly an alarm arose. In Ameri-
ca, England, Ireland, Sweden and other
countries where spurious liquors were used
in great excess, the minds of many people
were suddenly awakened to the terrible effect
they were having on the health, the morals,
and all the most precious interests OF the
community. The attention of physicians
was naturally aroused, and they proclaimed,
with no uncertain voice, the verdict of con-
demnation which their experience compelled
them to utter. They testified, both in their
individual capacities, and as members of
medical associations, not merely to those
fearful and well known results Of alcoholic
poisons which are supposed to spring only
from its immoderate use. They noticed al.
ready, in some degree those subtle modifica-
tions Of the human system, unsupported by
the victim, which prepare it for the inroads
OF disease and mark beforehand the path of
the pestllence.
Says one of the witnesses, with forty years
extensive practice behind him "Haif the
men, every year, who die of fevers might re-
cover, had they not been in the habit of
using ardent spirit. Many a man, down for
weeks with fever, had he not used ardent
spirit, would not have been confined to his
house for day. And many man who was
never intoxicated, when visited with fever
might be raised mp as well as not, were it
not for that state Of the system, which daily
moderate drinking occasions, who now, in
spite of all that can be DONE sinks down and
dies" Says DIR. Ember, Sec. of the College
of Physicians and Surgeons of Philadelphia.
"All use of ardent spirits H. e. as a drink)
is an abuse. They are mischievous under
all circumstances. Their tendency" says
Dr. Frank, when used even moderately, is
to induce disease, premature old age and
death. According to DR.. Harris the mO,ier-
ate use Of spirituous liquors has destroyed
many who were never drunk. In the opln-
ion of DIR. Kirk, men who were never con-
sidered intemperate by daily drinking have
often shortened life more than twenty years
aud the respectable use of this poison kills
more men than even drunkenness and ac-
cording to DIR. Wilson, the use of spirit in
large cities causes more diseases than con-
lined air, unwhulesome eXhalations, and the
combined influence of all other evils. 1t
was stated by an aged ply sician in Mary
land, that, when the fever broke out there,
the men who did not use ardent spirits were
not half as likely as other men to have it,
and that If they did have it, they were ten
times as likely to recover; and in the island
of Key West Florida where a great mortali-
ty prevailed it was found afterwards that
every person who died was in the habit of
using ardent spirit.
DIR. Sewall. in an address quoted in docu-
ment of the time makes the following state
ment "The inebrlate having by the habit
ual use of ardent spirit. exhausted to a great
er or less extent the principle of excitability
in the solids, the power OF reaction, and the
blood having become incapable of perform
ing its office also, he is alike predisposed to
every disease, and rendered liable to the in
roads of every invading foe. So far, there
fore from protecting the system against dis
ease, intemperance ever constitutes one of
ITS strongest predisposing causes"
"Superadded TO this, whenever disease
does lay Its grasp upon the drunkard, the
powers of life being already cnfecbled 10y the
stimulus of ardent spirit, he unexpectedly
SINKS IN the contest, and but too frequently
TO the modification of his physician, and
the surprise and grief of his friends. In
deed, inebrlation so enfeebles the powers of
life, SO modiies tho character of disease,
and so changes the operation of medical
agents that, unless the young physician has
studied thoroughly the constitution of the
drunkard, he has but partially learned his
profession, and Is not fit for practitioner of
the present age.
These principles gained remarkable con-
frmation during fearful visitation of cholera
which swept over Europe and America and
carried away its victims 10y thousandn.
,'Drunkards and tipplers' said DIR. Bronson.
of Albany ''baye been searched out with
such unerrinP certainty, AS to show that the
arrows of death have not been dealt with IN
discrimination.
The London morning Hrah states .,in-
Temperance is a qualification which it never
overlool7s. Often has it passed harmless
over wide population of temperate country
people and poured down as an Overlooking
scourge upon the drunkards of some dis
tant town" A Montreal paper says: mot a
drunkard who has been attacked has recover
ed OF the disease, and almost all the victims
have been at least m0d'Tdfe drinkers" So
far as ascertaned members of temperance
societies were almost universally exempt.
Such testimonies might be multiplied indie
fnitely they are perhaps sufficient to
show that physicians have not been blind in
the past to the greatness of the evil, against
which so many of them are lifting up the
voice Of warning to-day.