The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27
TIPS FOR TOPERs.

TIPS FOR TOPERs.
Safe Things to Tone Up On the ''Morn-
ing After"
Megaree, in Philadelphia Times.
1t is probably natural result of sew
eral recent talks we have had on varying
phases of the subject of alcoholic liquors,
that there should be received several IN
quiries as to the best remedies tin Tor 70 t f6
grape, which immoderately used is a
stealthy poison instead of a beneficial in
vigorant Having given the bane it Is only
fair that the antidote should be furnished.
Have you ever been out early enough In
the morning to see the topper take his ante,
deliberately and in its broadcast sense, be-
cause it matters not whether q man wears
broadcloth and fine linen or shiny shoddy
and cotton, he is either topper or getting
there fast when he is forced to tone up his
stomach after nights sleep with alcohol.
The sight isn't pleasant one. stand III, IN
the shadow Of the doorway and watch him.
Eyes either abnormally bright, with the
corners of the eyebrows drawn down, or
bloodshot and apparently swollen; lips
parched and dry: tongue thick and coated;
voice husky; countenance pallid; hands
nerveless; forehead damp with perspira-
ton. His step may be steady. and his uns
derstanding unmuddled but he is cross and
surly. He kicks the cuSpidor out Of the
way, as he advances to the bar: Now. turn
your eyes ON the barkeeper. If he is an
experienced man he says nothing, but puts
out two glasses and a bottle If he is
sav "Goektail wi sir? s There IS oniy one
answer from your confirmed topper, and that
is straight whisky" One trembling hand
seizes the bottle and the liquor gurgles into
the glass. There is an instant of seeming
reverie or an effort to assume indifference
TO the inperious demand of the stomach for
stimulant 1t is only an instant, and the
glass is emptied at a gulp. See him shake
his head as he walks to the door. In ten
minutes his hands have become steader,
natural tone. Follow him to the street and
you will see his step become springy, and
if you will walk half dozen blocks you Will
see him take another drink. and FIVE min
utes later another and another. Half
dozen will be necessary to brace him up
for the serious business of the day. That is
the toper's daily awakening.
There is no intention of preaching either
a temperance OF a total abstinence sermon,
but this is simply the entrance of protest
against this foolish suicidal habit of ''brac-
ing up before breakfast with alcoholic
beverages. To look at 1t from real COM
nonsense standpoint there is no reason
why a man in good health should require a
stomach stimulant, alcoholic or otherwise,
but the narrator is not unreasonable enough
to suppose that every one of you maintains
the same opinion-this then, for those who
are on the other side of the fence Let us
look at the thing as 1t really is. Suppose
a man sits down to q convivial dinner and
there is q feast of reason and a flow of Sec.
One bottle suggests another, and before you
know it you have consumed a larger pro-
portion of liquid than of solid Some
stronger liquid may follow later on. and
morning feeling, not as the topper feels, but
rather uncomfortable. Your stomach seems
rebellouS, and the thought of your usual
morning glass of water is slightly nauseat-
ing. You think over what you have known
other men do under similar circumstances
or what you may have possibly done your
Self-endeavor to tone up with a whisky
cocktail or brandy and soda. You salve
your conscience perhaps, with the homeo-
tur and actually come to believe that moth
ing else could possibly be substituted for
the glass of liquor which makes you feel
nerVy and imparts sense of exhilaration.
You probably number among your friends
or acquaintance some hearty old chap who
has taken a drink of good whisky before
couldn't eat without 1T. Now, at the risk
of having this worthy but prejudiced per-
red-facedness, let me suggest that old as
he is, he may yet find substitute-not only
a cheaper one, but one that will never coax
him to take more than Is good for him.
Take any man who is in the habit of look
ing in the bottom of the glass for pure
sociability'' at intervals from noon until
midnight and for stomach comfort before
he breaks his fast in the morning, and
let him, after he has arisen and dressed,
repair to drug store instead of to a bar
room. He has no appetite He. does not
feel as though he were "all there" In
stead Of a cocktail let him ask the drug
gist to prepare mixture of these ingre-
dents and quantities, which, when mixed
together, shall constitute a single dose
Chlorcform, five drops.
Compound tincture cardamon, two tea
spoonsful.
Water. one wineglassful.
Swallow that slowly-take FIVE minutes to
do it. You will be surprised to find that in
about fifteen minutes the "all gone feeling
will have disappeared. gentle, pleasant
satiop and in very little while there are
decided symptoms OF being hungry. A rep
etition of the dose inside of an hour i'll case
the attack of the night before was very Sc
we're. will do no harm. A cup of black cof-
fee twenty minutes after the first dose is
an excellent thing to follow with, provided
the patient is not OF particularly nervous
temperament.
You will find some men whose nerves be-
come unstrung upon very slight alcoholic
provocation, and such men are prone to try
the similia curantur racket. The best thing
for a case o. that kind is the drug store
again. Here is the dose:
Elixir celery, one drachm.
Elixir cocoa, osge drachm
Elixir hops. one drachm.
Bromide of sodium, twenty grains.
The narrator will guarantee that you will
never resort to whisky again after you have
tried whichever of these doses that may
suit your particular case. AS soon as you
feel able to eat, make your breakfast of
oatmeal principally for two or three days.
On the day after taking the first dose invest
in two Havana oranges and substitute the
juice for the pick-me-up tonic. If the stom-
ach rejects the oranges as too sweet throw
them away and try the tonic again, but
eventually return to the fruit.
This treatment will begin to show its eff
ltCt III Il lSW ucSS. lnSttdu VI lildt uneasy,
uncomfortable feeling there win come
vigOr and a natural exhilaration that will
brighten the eye and quicken the step. A
brisk walk around the block, II you live in
the brick and mortar section. will not come
amiss, nor will harm come from five min
utes exercise with half pound dumbbells.
Grasp them firmly and strike out as
though you intended humping somebody
All that is needed is faith and little per-
severance, especially perseverance. Three
weeks will bring the faith
OF course none of you need this sage ad-
vice.
But some of your friends NAV.