Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-07-19
temperance.
ALCOHOL AND DIGES-
TION.

IlON.
"You very frequently hear people
say that you must take little wine
because 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. Per-
sons, it is said, cannot digest their
food without wine. l think we shall
admit that that is true, but who are
these persons? They are persons
who have destroyed the power of di-
gestion by taking of this very thing
which they afterwards require to re-
lieve indigestion. There is no diff
Guilty in digestion in those who have
abstained from the first. Young
children who take no wine or strong
drink digest very well, and | think It
is an absolute proof that great mis-
chief has been inflicted the moment
a person feels he cannot digest food
without taking wine or strong drink,
and that lasts for a considerable
period. 1t always passes away IN
those who continue to abstain. But
when it is communicative there
is the first tendency towards total alb
stinence for a few days or few
weeks-at times there is this sensa-
ton. Then, as the canon says, when
it has passed away, and the stomach
has recovered itself and come back
to it's native state, then there is no
heart burn, there is no depression,
and the very best people IN digestion
are those who have learned complete
ly to digest without strong drink. We
find the drunkard, and even temper
ate persons, complaining of thirst.
They have dry tongues; they never
feel comfortable about the stomach
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; let US
remember that there are thousands
and hundreds of thousands who are
going about, sick people all their
lives and not aware of it, because
they are indulging in strong drink.
Remember that abstinence from
strong drink gives good sleep and
pleasant dreams. Remember that it
enables persons to do more work
than those who drink, to work longer
without fatigue, and to do more re-
fined work than those who drink. Re-
member that it is good for the senses
not to drink, that the sight, the hear
ing, the touch, and all else is per-
formed in a healthier manner when
there no drink to interfere and re-
member, as very strong argument
indeed on your side, that good diges-
ton is benefited, and when the diges-
ton is benefited, all is benefited
through the body by abstinence from
strong drink. Never give up this
point, that digestion is better per-
formed without strong drink when
you have got over the first difficulty /;
and connected with that is the old
story of the stomach and its MEM
bers. 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 OF
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 wait,
ed on first and which will not let any.
thing be done in the body well unless
it Is thoroughly waited on, is benefit
ed by total abstinence. b. W
Richardson.