The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-07
Temperance.
Alcohol and Digestion.

=" You very frequently hear people
say that you must take little wine be-
cause of the stomach, or because you
want it to quicken digestion, and that
digestion really calls for it, This is
one of the greatest difficulties we total
abstainers have to meet. Persons, it
is said, cannot digest their food with
out wine. l think we shall admit that
that is true, but who are these persons?
They are persons who have DESTROYED
the power of digestion by the taking of
this very thing which they afterwards
require to relieve indigestion. There
is no difficulty in digestion in those
who have abstained from the first.
Young children who take no wine or
strong drink digest very well, and 1
think it is an absolute proof that great
mischief has been inflicted the moment
person feels he cannot digest food
without taking wine or strong drink,
and that lasts for considerable period
1t always passes away in those who
continue to abstain. But when it is
commenced--when there is the first
tendency towards total abstinence for a
few DAYS or few weeks-at times there
is this sensation. Then, as the canon
says, when it has passed away, and the
stomach has recovered itself and come
back to its native state, then there is no
pain, then there is no heartburn, there
is no depression, and the very best
people in digestion are those who have
learned completely to digest without
strong drink. We find the drunkard,
and even temperate persons, complain
ing of thirst. They have dry tongues;
they have never clean tongues; they
never feel comfortable about the stom-
ach. They are always telling you they
want something to warm them, and so
they have recourse to the agent that
has produced the mischief-a most alb
surd and illogical conclusion. Let us
carry them away with us; letus remem-
Der that there are thousands and hun
dreds of thousands who are going
about, sick people all their lives and
not aware of it, because they are in
dulging in strong drink. Remember
that abstinence from strong drink gives
good sleep and pleasant dreams. Re-
member that it enables persons to do
more work than those who drink, to
work longer without fatigue, and to do
more refined work than those who
drink. Remember that it is good for
the senses not to drink, that the sight,
the hearing, the touch, and all else is
performed in a healthier manner when
there is no drink to interfere; and re-
member, as very strong argument in
deed on your side, that good digestion
is benefited, and when the digestion is
benefited all is benefited through the
body by abstinence from strong drink.
Never give up this point, that digestion
is better performed without strong
drink when you have got over the first
difficulty; and connected with that is
the old story of the stomach and its
members All the parts of the body re-
fused to obey the stomach, and they
said, "You are always lazy organ,
and you are doing nothing all day."
So they rebelled. Then they found
themselves all beginning to fall off
when the good stomach failed them.
and they did not get what was neces-
sary for the support of the body. And
keep this in mind always with regard
to total abstinence, that that important
organ, which will be waited on first
and which will not let anything be done
in the body well unless it is thoroughly
waited on, is benefited by total absti
nence.-Dr. b. W. Richardson.