The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-01-15

man origin. Thus the phrase hall seas
over" he regards as borrowed from the
Dutch. The term opzee, or over sea, was
given to q Supplying beer introduced into
England from the Low Countries, and, by
an easy transformation and expansion, ran
finally into the expression half-seas over, or
nearly drunk. Rouse and carouse came
from the Danes-rouse being the name of a
large cup In which health was drank, and
caroUse the act of drinking healths by COM
pany.
1t was a favorlte notion with writers on
drunkenness. in the time of Elizabeth, that
a man in the different stages of intoxication
exhibited the vicious qualities of different
animals; and in this notion Mr.. DisraelI
fancies that the expression peculiar TO the
English drunk as beast" or 'beastly
drunk has its origin Among the writer's
cited in illustration Of his idea, sketch of
different classes of drunkards is quoted from
NASH which is of sufficient interest to merit
repeating: "The first is ape-drunk; and he
leaps, and sings, and hoilows, and danceth
for the heavens. The second is lyon-drunk
and he filings the pots about the house,
breaks the glass windows with his
dagger, and is apt to quarrel with any man
that speaks to him. The third is swine
drunk: heavy lumpish, and sleepy, and
cries for little mare drink and few more
clothes. The fourth is sheep-drunk; wise
in MS own conceit when he can not bring
forth right word. The fifth is maudlin-
drunk when a fellow will weep for kindness
in the midst of his drink, and kiss you.
The sixth is martin drunk; when
a man is drunk, and drinks himself sober
ere he stir. The seventh is goats drunk;
when in his drunkenness he hath no mind
but on lechery. TIE eight is fox-drunk;
when he is crafty-drunk, as many OF the
Dutehmen may be, which will never bargain
but when they are drunk. All these species
and more, have seen practiced in one com
pany at one sitting; when / have been per-
mitted to remain sober amongst them only
to note their several hu-lors
At the time of the Restoration, excuses
of every sort were at their height. Duel
ing and raking," says Green, became the
marks of fine gentleman, and grave divines
wInked at the follies OF honest fellows
who fought, eam5ied, swore, drank, and
ended a day of debaUchery by night in
the gutter" Beer or ale was the beverage
of the people, being. as Macaulay states,
mot only all that beer now is, but all that
wine, tea and ardens spirits now are. 1t was
only at great houses, or on great occasions.
that foreign drink was placed on the board
The Introduction OF coffee In the latter
part of the seventeenth century had visible
effect in diminishing the use of in toxicating
drinks; and inebriety among the upper
classes was, according to Lecky, never quite
so general as between the time of Elizabeth
and the Revolution. at was computed in
$685." remarks this author, chat no less
than II 100000 barrels (of still beer or ale)
were brewed in England In single year,
though the entire population probably little
exceeded 1000, Goo
In 1896, with somewhat heavier excise, it
sank to IL 350, 0C0 barrels; but even then
almost third part of the arabic land OF the
kingdom was devoted 10 barley. The Eng
lsh manufacture of spirits was greatly ex-
tended By the prohibition in 1859 of the inn
portation of foreign liquors: 1T was not
till about 1124," writes Lecky in his most
graphic history of drunkenness in England,
that the passion for gin-drinking appears
to have infected the masses of the popula-
ton; and it spread with the rapidity and
violence of an epidemic. Small as is the
place which this fact occupies In English
history, it was probably, if we consider all
the consequences that have flowed fromit,
the most momentous in that of the eigh-
tenth century-incomparably more SO than
any event in the purely political or military
annals of the country. The fatal passion for
was at once, and irrevocably, planted in the
nation. The average of British spirits DIS
titled, which is said to have been only ST.
600 gallons in 1854. and 1000 600 in IVA,
had risen in 1927 to 3 Col 900, and in 1875 to
s., 1914 600 gallons. Physicians declared that
in excessive g1n-drinking new and terrible
source of mortality had been opened for the
poor. Retailers of gin were &C.
customed to hang out printed boards an
nouncing that their customers could be
made drunk for penny, and dead drunk
for two pence, and should have straw for
nothing; and cellars strewn with straw were
accordingly provided, into which those who
had become insensible were dragged, and
where they remained till they had sufficient
| ly recovered to renew their orgies"
The government finally interposed to
lesson the frightful prevalence of the evil.
! In 1886 measure TACT g. George H., C. 23)
imposing en- enormous tax upon all salable
liquors recited in the preamble that The
drinking of spirituous liquors, or strong
aNIx
among the people of lower and inferior rank
the constant and excessive use whereof
| tends greatly to the obstruction of their
healths, rendering them unfit for useful
labor and business debauching their morals
and exciting them to perpetrate all manner
| of vices" In consequence of this tax the
| consumption Of liquors fell for a brief space
but in 1742 the production. again increas.
ing, amounted to 100000 gallons. In
! .749," to return again to the narrative of
Lecky. "more than 1000 persons were con-
ylcted of selling spirituous liquors without
a license, and the number of private GIN
! shops within the bills of mortality was esti-
mated at more than IL 600. At the same
| time, crime and immortality of every de-
/ scription were rapidly increasing. The Lon
don physicians stated in 1850 that there
were, in or about the Metropolis, no less
than Ia GOO cases of Illness most of them
beyond the reach of medicine, directly at
tributable to gin.''
By active and efficient legislation the evil
| was gradualey subdued; and it is observed
/ by Lecky that among the favorable results
ensuing was the decrease of dropsy, which
had risen in London to a wholly UMPIRE
cedented point between IT'S and 1851, but
now immediately diminished, and the
diminution was described by physicians to
the marked decrease OF drunkenness in the
community"
A Mean Advantage.