Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-03-21

oP'"h' lnere'o'e, on me matter with the
greatest possible dffidence, because nv
research and tone Of mind turns altogether
towards the scientific side of this question.
think | might say in reference to DR..
kerr's remarks about the constitution of
these wines. that if there is anything in
what you may cnil similtude and in uure
symbolism, as represented in the use of
VINE on the solemn occasion to which he
refers, all the question of similitude turns
towards wine that is expressed simply
from the grape, think there is a passage
m the service which says, This is nv
blood" Now if You .ake that all
as meaning anything symbolic, then
YOU have common sense view in
the smilitnde which does really exist
between the expressed juice of the wine
and his blood, That is strictly true. If
you look at this table on the wall showing
he compositions of two kinis of wine, the
one fermented, the other unfermented. Won
will see that the constituent parts, actual
ly of blood and of the expressed wine, are
strikingly analogous.
One of the most important elements of
the blood, that which keeps it together.
that which Plato speaks of as "the plastic
part of the blood is the fibrine, and that
is represented in the gluten of the unfer.
mented wine. If we come to the nourish-
ing part of the blood, that which we call
the mother OF the tissues. we find il in the
unfermented grape, in the album n, and
that is also presen in the blood; and il
we come to all the salts, there they are in
he blooi, and the proportion is
nearly the same in the unermented
wine as in the blood and if we come torhe
parts OF the wine which goes to support
the respiration of the body, we find them
in the sugar. Really and trnly on a
question OF symbolism, If there is anything
at all III that, the argument is all in favor
OF the use OF unfermented wine. But,
again, | would put it in this way in
support of DR.. Kerr. Presuming that you
want the real thing that was fermen'ed
for your purposes, | should say scientific.
ally that you could not 90 TO that thing
in IFS purest form. Ii you really do want
to put iermented substance forward,
then yon should pat forward in all its
purely
The logcal argument would be not 10
take an irregular substance which is
called wine. and which may contain half a
dozen things thatare altogether apart from
he real thing, but the ont would be 10
take an actu lily pure, simple, fermented
substance altogether, free from everything
except the fermented substance, the
complete process and water. Yet,
suppose, il any thing of that kind were put
forward in the church, it would be
rebelled at universally. No one would
think of doing it. Yet that is what should
be done logically If this is to be the thing.
Vpn atbor
mented agent If it be decided that a
iermented agent Is wanted, take it in all
its purity; if an unfermented agent, take
that which is the natural, simple express.
ion OF the juice Of the grape-the rich
wine.
There is another view | might take
about it. | believe bread is used in the
same way. There are certain varieties of
bread, but suppose, by any kind oftradltion,
or superstition, or popular use. a bread
was used that produced mischief to
certain people.
There is form of rye bread which
when taken produces in some persons a
singular condition OF disease of cerebro
spinal nature that ends in modification of
the extremities oft body. Presuming it
became a fashion in the churches to use
bread of that kind and it was found that
it produced certain amount of disease in
the community who partook of it-and
certainly it would never produce anything
like the amount OF disease that might be
p oduced ny wine-yet if that were
all that kind of bread would be
put away entirely. The general term
bread would be used to give the best, and
si,,nlaat and ,t braal npH I,nt
be taken and used which was perfectly
harmless. | think that same argument
might apply very well to wine-to take
that wine which is perfectly harmless, and
that would be unfermented wine.
So far l have spoken with difidence;
but now, like Dr.. Kerr. I stand on my
own ground as to facts. cannot TOO
strongly urge upon you the solemnty Of
that question of herediiy. My friend has
been good enougl to quote ME as an
| am simply an authority S a
collector of evidence, and am bound TO
say that there is nothing so serious in the
question of the use of alcoholic drinks us
this heredity which it implies. THIS
heredty extends certainly to ihrec gen
eratons, vet there tis II certain hops
about it. 1t is not very deeply planted,
and three generations would remove it
altogether from the world; but in those
cases in whieh it is planted it is one of The
most perpleXing, one of the most terrible,
of difficulties in the way of the physician
who wishes to treat disease successfully.
This hereditv does not simply ilnpiant
physical evil. 1t implants mental evil;
and here we physicians and divines stand
together in a remarkable way. Let me
give you an illustration. Recently in our
medical temperance society we have been
discussing the treatment of dipsomania.
and in the three meetings, attended
altogether about ninety persons. We came
to this conclusion, that whenever a person
gets craving for drink, the word of that
person is worth nothing. With the
production of that craving for drink there
is implanted n systematic form Of false
hood which becomes positively a diagnostic
condition of the person affected How
strange that this craving should lead TO
this singular moral effect, apart from all
the physical effects with which it is
combined! But If am not incorrect in
nv view. if this moral effect extends
downwards and beco mes hereditary in
those who have been the offspring Of
how solemn becomes the question of
heredity.
AS to the practical point, whether there
danger in this matter Of using wine at
the Sacrament: Yes, say there is.
say the danger is very great indeed in
regard to considerable number of people.
The clergy have made TO them certain
statements by those who consult them,
and we have, too. The physicians room
is, in fact, confessional. Very often
statements are made to us physicians
which are made to no others. In respect
of this very question, hardly month
passes but what some one speaks to me on
this verv point which DR.. Kerr has
brought forward. could at this moment,
if it were right to do SO, name at least ten
persons who wish to accept the communion,
and who do not go to it from the fear lest
they should fall back into those ways
from which they have been rescued by the
influence of friends or physicians, or from
some ether causes. Well, this is very
important point indeed to bear in mind.
| lo,,S. l,oox.r xybotba, 7 have o-o,