The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-01
TEMPERANCE.
TEMPERANCE AND HEALTH,
The Experience of Daniel and His Three
Companions - What Total Abstinence
Did For Them,

| Companions - What Total Abstinence
| Did For Them.
And at the end of ten days their coun-
tenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh
| than all the CHILDREN which did eat the portion
of the Kings meat. Thus Melzar took away
| the portion of their meat, and the wine that
they should drink, and gave them pulse
DdnHL /, IS, 16.
When ACKNOWLEDGMENT had carried
the children Of Judah captive to Baby
Ion, he determined by wise policy to
incorporate them among his own peo-
pie as far as practicable. So he gave
orders to select the most promising
youths, and have them trained and ed
! ucated to become officers in his gov
eminent. He desired them to have the
best possible development, both ply
sically and mentally; so he ordered
them to have such food and drink as
he himself used, and probably their
teachers and studies were or
dered with equal care. Many were
selected, the most of whom APP
peared to have complied at once
with the directions given. We
hear nothing more of them. But
Daniel and three other youths, his
companions, chose a simple, nutritious
diet, and no wine. He may have done
this principally to avoid ceremonial
de1ilement, but he evidently knew that
this diet was also fitted to secure good
physical and mental development. He
therefore with confidence proposed the
experiment of the pulse to eat and the
water to drink. The pulse was peas
and beans, with probably other seeds
and grains. The result justified the
choice. 1t was no more miracle than
we can accomplish in this day by sim
liar means. For
l. Temperance is principally ques-
ton of health. In its broadcast sense
it means keeping these bodies in their
best condition for serving God, our
selves, and our fellow-men. Daniel
wanted to keep his body in its best
condition for such service. Its i'm
portance is implied in the first COM
mand given TO the race in Paradise 1t
may be paraphrased thus: "Partake
only of that which is good for you. That
which is bad will SOW in you the seeds
of disease and death" This healthful
temperance is, in its highest sense,
that sef-preservation which is the first
law of nature.
2. Daniels intelligent care for his
health kept him from all danger of in
OF
take into account, intemperance in all
its degrees is due to the ignorance and
Indifference OF the people about its
effect upon their health. If they
6new that the alcohol in these intoxi-
eating drinks was a violent narcotic
poison, and did them positive injury
every time they took it, they would
abstain far more than they do. 1t is
this ignorance which prepares them to
become the dupes of wine, the mocker.
8. II was by means of Daniels Tenn
perance that he kept and improved a
healthful brain, and therefore his men
tai ability. He soon stood first among
the princes and governors. We have
also many examples in modern times
where only the abStinent members of q
college class came to honor. OF Daniel's
classmates we hear again from only
the three who were his messmates.
That was when they withstoOd the
command Of the King to fall down and
worship the idol which he had set up.
Their faith delivered them from the
fiery furnace, and covered them with
lasting honor. Daniels healthful
body and brain not only served him
well in early manhood but carried
him through a long and well-sus-
tanned career under four Kings. The
wine he seems to have drank in his
later years may not have been intoXi
eating wine.
4. Alcohol is brain and nerve
poison. It's action on the brain and
nerves seems to be mainly through its
greediness for water, which it sucks
up from those moist and delicate It's
sues and disturbs their normal action,
and thus the entire government of the
body is deranged. This greediness of
alcohol for water may be illustrated
by the action of alcohol on the white
of an egg, which it hardens by draw
ing from it portion of its moisture.
The action of alcohol on the nerves
and brain may not proceed to the ex-
tent Of hardening, but it destroys their
normal action. Other arrangements
follow in diseases of the stomach, liv-
err, kidneys. etc, till the drunkard be-
comes literally mass of disease-phy-
steal, mental and spiritual.
5. The matter of a proper diet has
much to do with both health and Tenn
perance. Careful eating would often
prevent the thirst that leads to drink
ing The subject is well worthy of our
careful attention, and is daily occupy
ing more and more of the public con-
sideration. 1t will more naturally fol-
low the progress of intelligent absti-
hence from Intoxicating drinks, for it
is scarcely to be expected that people
who do not know or care enough to
prevent the downright poisoning of
themselves with alcohol should exer-
else nice discrimination and self-denial
about their foods.