The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-23
SCIENCE AND rHE DRINK HABIT.

SCIENCE AND THE DRINK HABIT.
sc,sncs in Esgiand and America has
taken up the question OF the drink habit
70 the advantages. in our Judgment. Of the
cause OF temperance. If not total absts-
nence. The treatment Of the drink evil
over the popular sentimental treatment OF
the trunkard in this respect. il treats the
inebsisse IS subject for medical help as
the victim OF disease.
The drunkar6 has always been q subject.
OF sasire as far back as We have any record
of the existencs Of intoxican.s He is
denounced in the Old Testament; he is
derided in the Greek comedy Of Aristoph-
enes, ard even Socrates and his disciples
did not escape criticism as too much given
10 the discussion Of new doctrines and
strange gods. under the influence of too
much wine. Since the preference of man
kind for nerve stimuIants Of some sorts
was disclosed in prehistoric times. and
has never ceased 10 show itself, it Is justly
regarded by science as proper subject OF
inquiry and discussion illusions TO the
products OF fermentation are found IN the
most ancient Egyptian. Assyrian, Judaean.
Indian and Chinese records The whole
process OF wine making is delinea.ed in the
Egyptian pictures. At least 600 years
ago the Egyptians had four kinds Of wine.
Homer is full of illusions to wine; the
Roman poets of the Augustan age sang
e. A -
singer Anacreon. Every Anglo-Saxon
and medieval monastery had its vineyard.
The old Morse sea kings drank mead, a
fermented beverage made from honey and
water. and described By the early English
as q liquor lit for heroes. The Anglo-Saxon
and the Norssmen drank ale, beer, wine,
mead and cider, importing their wine
from Spain. Italy. France and Germany.
The distiilation of ardent spirits was
discovered by an Arabian chemist in the
tenth century, and from Arabia the secret
was carried by the Moors TO Spain. From
Spain 1t was taken by trading vessels to
Ireland, SO that the Irish and the High
land Scotch were whisky drinkers before
the English people. who drank strong ale
and wine chiefly until the eighteenth GEN.
fury. when an excessive tax on ale led to
the importation Of cheap gin from Hol-
land; gin so cheap that man could get
drunk as lord for q penny" Northern
Europe was always famed for its consump-
ton Of alcoholic stimulants. The Scotch,
Irish, English. Scandinavians, North Ger
mans and Russians have always been hard
drinking races. The French, Spanish,
South Germans and Italians have always
been a comparatively abstemious people.
With the destruction of the vine in France
by the phylloxera the day of cheap wine
was over. and the poorer classes have re-
sorted to the cheapest forms of alcohol
produced from potatoes and other vege-
tables, and in consequences intemperance
has increased In France where it was once
comparatively unknown.
Colonial New England was greatly given
TO the Incorporate use of Jamaica and
"Medford" rum. which formed George
Washington's before breakfast "braeer"
during his army life. Drunkenness at
funerals was common as late as the
first decade of the present century,
and ministers not seldom drank
enough between sermons to show 1T
in their afternoon discourse. Drunken
ness was so common among the most
cultivated men during the last decade of
the last century that the only famous En-
glish statesman who did not get drunk at
dinner was Edmund Burke. William Pitt
was seldom intoxicated, for he was a
sickly creature from childhood. and yet
he was occasionally under the influence OF
port wine, of which he drank very freely
before making a great speech. Fox was q
hard drinker and an inveierats gambler,
as vas Sheridan.
In the United States there was no
influential public opinion against the
incorporate use OF alcohol before 1910.
Drunkenness among politicians Of the
highest rank was common as late as the
days Of President Jackson, and congress,
up 10 the outbreak of the civil war, was
disgrAced by dea! OF public drunkenness.
William III. Crawford. brilliant Georgian,
candidate for president in is2a. died OF
softening of the brain. produced BY intem-
peranee. Silas Wright. great statesman
Of New York. broke his health
dawn aud died in his prime be-
cause OF his fondness for whisky
Daniel webster's intemperancs has been
grossly exaggerated by his enemies, but
there is no doubt that be sometimes too
freely INDUCED. Since the war congress
has greatly improved in sobriety, and in
English public life, while few men are
total ahstainers, intempsrance is IN
known among the leaders Of the people.
The force Of enlightened public opinion
and the increased refinement OF public
manners has caused intemperaacs to be
considered as bad form. aud when the
popular tyrans fashion gives her hand TO
the cause Of public morality. the manners
Of the people are sure 20 Re reformed
Make vice questionable and you have
done much 80 aid the cause OF public
virtue.
The fact that the practice OF absGsmIous-
meas In thamattsr OF the use o! alcohol
has greatly grown since Iss9. both in Ea-
rope, where prohibitoFy laws are an
known. aud In America. shows thss for
the reform Of soelS evils We must look 10
tie ruling force Of public opinion rather
than TO law TO help shs cause Of puzzle