The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-05-10
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
IMPORTANT EVIDENCE.
How Woman Explorer in Africa Col
Along Without liquor.


Strong testimony in support of a
cause frequently could be supplied by
persons who are not pledged advocates
of that cause, if they would only free
ly state personal experiences without
prejudice, and give the facts honest
publicity; hence, this statement from
one not total abstainer, although
believer in temperance.
When providing the requisite sup
plies for my African expedition,
through the advice of most experienced
and noted travellers, l added several
cases of wine and liquor, urged that
there were times during every African
travellers journey when spirits were
absolutely necessary for the preserva-
ton of life or the alienation of the
ravages of African maladies.
My observation during brief anchor
age of our steamer at various ports en-
voyage was far from corroborative.
Habitues of the ports were constantly
INDUCING in, according to the vernacu-
Ear of the coast, pegs" consisting of
brandy and soda, or plain whisky, or
even rum, and no dinner or breakfast
seemed complete without quantity of
champagne. No matter if one was
overcome by the sun, with a rapidly
rising temperature, or whether at1ict-
ed with chill, as the harbinger of
fever, stimulants were taken or adj
ministered by ones own volition or I'M
der medical advice. The consequence
naturally was that no invalids real
condition could be ascertained, and
when a collapse ensued mortal power
was of no avail. Moreover, many of
the young men had a besotted, en-
ervated, languorous appearance, and
seemed to have lost the higher
sense of manliness, were lacka-
daisical, without ambition, def
Gent in energy, took life too much as
it came without disposition to better
conditions However, another cause
for the utter and sad Indifference of
the men is, think, largely due to the
absence of white women's society, to
stimulate their sentimental nature and
compel them to dignified, circumspect
department, to keep in allegiance the
don't care spirit that gradually but
most invidiously, like a social mildew,
creeps over the majority of men left to
themselves.
As soon as l started to march with
my caravan, and had the opportunity
to inform myself before leaving the sta
tons where white men were eking out
a miserable existence, it became clear
that there We're many serious objec
tions to resOrting to stimulants on all
and every occasion, yet | was not will
ing to discard from my supplies the
cases of liquor, but resolved to employ
them only during some possible emer-
gency: determining to put to the test,
and strictly follow out, certain simple
rules of hygiene and note results.
When men travellers in tropics are
oppressed by sense of suffocatiou and
heated and drenched with perspiration,
Immediately they strip off every parti-
Gle of clothing they can decently spare,
and frequently even do not pause at
this structure. They feel drowsy and
exhausted, take good drink of spirits,
possibly indulge in smoke, throw
themselves down on the ground, blan-
ket only intervening between their
half-stripped bodies and the malarious
earth-to soon fall into a heavy slum-
Der, inhaling the subtle miasmatic
vapors, while rapid condensation takes
place on the surfaces of their reeking
bodies; their pores are suddenly closed,
chill supervenes; they too often waken
to find African fever lurking in their
systems, followed by helpless delirium
I'D rTha &c
condemned as pestilential when the
verdict should justly be ''reSuH Of h.
man idiOc'."
To the contrary, whether wet from
rain or from swimming and fording
streams or from perspiration, the mo-
ment we halted l put on an extra light
silk garment, covering me from head
to foot. Although at times even this
slight addition seemed insupporta bic,
prudently did keep it on, cognizant
of the safeguard it afforded, and when
the excessive heat abated a chill was
unknown. Then by the morning and
night use of hot water baths, boiling
and filtering all water used for drink
ing or cooking, sleeping two and one
half feet above the surface of the
ground in my palanquin (Which took
me out of the strata of miasmatic mists)
and using as constant bever-
age and stimulant, coffee, hot or cold,
l never had the slightest intimation of
fever. During the entire period of my
expedition, marching at the head of
my caravan, enduring greatest hard
ships and fatigue. did not partake of
single glass of spirits or wine, exclu-
sively using coffee as a substitute.
Mocha coffee is the berry l carried in
small sacks. twas fresh roasted each
day or every alternate day, ground and
distilled twice daily. My gun bearer
carried bottle of cold coffee and my
extra wrap. Hygiene, common sense
and forswearing spirits l hold as the
guarantee of my immunity from the
social d inevitable African fever
May French Sheldon, in Union Signal.