Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-04-07
RUM AND TOBACCO,
BEFORE THE oRAMPIAN HILL TEN
PERANCE UNION.


|
Ladies and Gentlemen The subject
of my discourse is "Rum and Tobacco" T"
The persons who daily use either OF
these, let him be priest, kIng,or peasant,
| shall call incorporate. This lsa sub
ject of vital importance to the health
and longlevity Of man, as well us his
mental and physical condition. Physi.
ologists say that the use Of these arti.
cles, begun in early life, from six to
fifteen years of age, shorten life ten
years or more. In point Of economy,
il is useless expenditure and waste
of time and money, causing physical
and mental debility TO all who use the
weed. The sooner a child begins to
smoke or chew tobacco or drink rum
before the age Of puberty, or full devel-
opment of the brain, bones, muscles,
and growth of all the different organs,
the greater is the shock to the nervous,
mental and physical powers.
Phrenology is system of philosophy
based on the physiology Of the brain,
All persons having knowledge Of thus
sciencek now that certain portions OF
Of the brain is the organ for u particu.
lar faculty of the mind, and some other
portion is the organ foranother faculty,
If any part Of the brain is diseased or
destroyed, that faculty is IN part or
wholly hindered from performing its
duty. Therefore, any poisonous drug,
like tobacco or alcohol, which is ab
sorbed into the blood, goes directly to
the brain, disturbing more or less the
mental and physical powers. The
brain is very complicated piece OF
mechanism. No wonder then that il
is easily disordered by any poisonous
drug Some poisons affect certain Or
gans, when absorbed into the blood,
more than others. Alcohol being
highly stimulant, infames the stom.
ach, throwing more blood to the base
Of the brain, on the social and protect
i've group, excites the animal passions,
combativeness and destructiveness to
the highest degree, while tobacco is a
sedative narcotic, and acts more on the
moral and intellectual group, causing
irritation, nervous debility, and often
paralysis. Under its influence the
brain hardens and shrinks, thereby in.
juring the mind more or less. The
whole machine is thrown into coniu.
sion by taking onything into the stom.
ach or circulation that will not chemi.
cally combine to give strength and
support to the system. The brain re-
ceives about one-sixth more blood than
any other organ of the same capacity.
Therefore, whatever is taken into the
stomach or absorbed into the circula.
tion goes directly TO the brain, and
there commits its unboly depredations
on mind and matter till some effort OF
Nature comes to the rescue and elects
the foe from the system.
tits a well known fact that all drugs
or poisons lose n part Of their power
by frequent repetition. The vital re-
sistance TO the poison tobacco and al
coholj is gradually overcome or worn
out and after awhile require larger
and larger doses to have the same effect,
so that the man who takes two drams
day, or smokes three cigars, will in
time take four drains and six cigars,
and chew plug Of the filthy weed
that nothing will touch except the ugly
green worms and omniverous man.
Touch not, taste not, handle not the
unclean thing, nor suffer your children
TO use 1t in any way IL you desire
health and good old age.
"Live while you live, the epicure would say,
I And seine the pleasures Of the present day
Live wbilc you live, the sacred preacher cries,
Aud give TO God each moment as Il flies"
This stanza contains much for the
reflective mind of man as free agent
tochoose whom he will serve-Nature' e
God, or the fantastic notions and
habits of tho world. The former pro
duces health and long life, the latter
disease, premature decay and death.
Tobacco il medical, not an edible
plant. The use OF it retards digestion,
The saliva, which is alkaline and mega,
tive in quality, is conveyed TO the
stomach, and there meets the gastric
juice, which Is an acid and positively
electrified, and forms kind Of o gal
vanic battery TO chemically prepare
the food for the blood, which is loaded
with material for building up the
wasted energies of the organism. The
blood is brought in contact with every
part of the system. 1t builds mp the
bones, replenishes the muscles, renews
the nerves, and furnishes the brain
with new material TO take the place Of
the old. Then, keep the blood pure
and health is sure TO follow bat il the
vital fluid is charged with poison ol
any kind TO make it impure, disease ia
sure to follow Tobacco is incapable
in any way of being transformed into
animal tissue, or serving for animal
nutrition hence, 1t acts as a poison OF
foreign substance in the system, doing
the greatest injury TO the nervous
fibres, acting more violent than alco.
hol and causing all the symptoms Of
delirium tremens. 1t creates an appe.
tite ior strong drink and brings on
disease that takes away the supper,
of the family, siarves and freezes the
children, and clothes them in rags and
Ignorance. From $50 to s75 is often
used in a year for tobacco alone by
somc families. This sum would bread
and clotho most families, and more too
IL Is a sad sight TO see children, halt
starved and clothed in rags, standing
in the streets begging tobacco from
strangers. Yet such is often the case,
and they learn 10 usc It at six or eigh,
years OF ago.
| Tobacco was known to the Ameri-
can Indian in the days of Columbus