The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-01-15
What We 6 4

DIR. Is. Il. Lees WAS once brought to
task in a company OF physicians because
it was claimed by some OF them that he
had exaggerated the fatal hereditary
effects OF the alcohol habit. To prove
this they cited the case of d fine looking,
wealthy citizen, who for fifty years had
taken a bottle OF good wine daily; and
said that wine could not be SO bad as
he represented if a man could be so hale
after taking so much drink. The doctor
vas called upon for his opinion. He
said, II can not give you an opinion
with out knowing the facts. This gen
tlcman lives in agood situation?" "The
best in town; the only eminence in the
district" "He lives well and notextrav-
agantly?" Just So" "And what sort
of a lady is his wife," ooh, she ia a
very moderate woman." "Pretty
healthy" eyes" 'Wcll, 1 should think
then you have not much to do in this
family?" ooh, yes" said a physician,
f" but l have"
Questioning on this point he asked,
"What family have they?" ''Oh, they
had eleven" "Indeed, how many have
they now?" ''Six.' THAT is very
singular, for, I suppose you believe in
the law that kind produces kind? Is
there amy more certain principle in
physiology than that good food makes
good blood, good blood good structure,
and good structure transmits good
structure: When the parents are
healthy the children must be healthy
"It cannot be denied" "Now," siid
DR.. Lees, "there Is something to be ac-
counted for; six children are living, five
| arc dead. But what is the constitution
OF the SKIP ':They are hipped, ner-
vous,' replied the physician. "Ol,''
said a lady, you know Miss - was
touched in the head" "And Mr.. George
said another, "was in the asylum.''
"And Mr.. William, you know, is certain
ly queer SAID a third.
"Gentlemen," said DR.. Lees, "witlout
going further, nothing is more certain
than that some great and serious law of
lie must have been violated, aud upon
the face OF it the one bottle of VINE IA
day may have been the agent. That is
my case Many years aitcrward the
doctor learned the sequel Of the story.
one son died :, lunatic. The father died
of apopieXy at eighty-tlree and fifteen
years later the last grandson had spent
all his money hut a mere pittance.
Our whole nation suffers now from
diseased nervous organism and IL weak
cned will; the direct results OF the to-
bacco and alcoholic habits. II the par
ents SOW to the wind the children must
reap the whirlwind.
Prof. krafft-Ebing gives the following
genesis OF alcoholic hereditv: "First
generation, moral depravity and alco-
hoiic excess; second generation. drink
mania, attacks o. insanity, general pa
ralysis; third generation, h~yprocondria,
meiancholil, apathy, and tendency to
murder; fourth generation, inbecilty,
idlocE, extinction Of the family
II the ldlnii.y does not become extinct
there is some hope for those WHO SUI,
vivc, Tor there comes to them a tota
revulsion and they loathe alcoholi
drinks. Verifying the scriptures the evi
hercdity ascxhausted itself unto tn
third and fourth gcnelatior," while tn
good inheritance goes on for ever.
The parents Of children who have ;
Il bad Inheritance should seek to bullc
up their ncrvous system with prope
food and exercise; never allowing then
to eat highly seasoned food and never
as they value their eternal welfare, per
init them to taste tobacco or alcohol
Carefully cultivate will-power, sclf-lc
s%traint, hopefulness and above all ;
iirm reliance upon God, for by his hcll
a bad inheritance may be conquered.