The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1902-05-28
TEMPERANCE.

An essay read by Miss Treva c. Brister before
the Pleasant Hill Sunday School on satur-
day, May 3, 1902.
Intemperance perverts the mind and
heart. Very little argument is neces-
sary on this point. Solomon said:
swine is mocker, strong drink is
raging, and whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise''. The great Apos-
tie Paul goes much further, and in
|. Cor SO 10, declares that mo drunk
ard shall be permitted to inherit the
Kingdom of God" The word of God,
from the beginning to the end, is
clearly and emphatically against strong
drink. BY strong drink is meant
every form of Intoxicating drink, every
liquid used as beverage, such as alco-
hol, whisky, brandy, rum, gin, ale, beer
and all fermented wines. They all be-
long to the same family, and in charac-
ter and capacity for degrading their
victims are very much alike. Take
drop of pure alcohol and place it upon
the raw surface of the body and wit
ness the effect. 1t causes intense pain.
Alcohol is most dangerous irritant.
It poisons the blood, paralyzes the
nerves, hardens the brain. Medical
students are always happy when they
can secure the brain of an old topper
for dissecting. 1t is said to be very
difficult undertaking to dissect
healthv brain without mingling its
structure:se-A very sharp instrument
and steady hand are required to per-
form the task successfully. But not
so with drunkard's. 1t is always to
be found hard and easily cut Strong
drink affects the heart. DR.. Parkes,
by careful experiment, is reported to
have ascertained that the pulse of
man, whose heart beat about IA times
a minute or 1866 in "a hours when
drinking only water, was, when under
the influence of one ounce of alcohol,
compelled to beat 430 times more in a
day. Two ounces per day caused an
increase of 1872 beats day, six ounces
drove the pulse to 1892 extra beats,
and eight ounces PASS unnecessary
beats or nearly one-quarter more than
when drinking only water. What
fearful waste of vital energy. Some
say that alcohol is good for regulating
the temperature of the body. Men
drink it in summer to keep cool, in
winter to keep warm. A marvellous
remedy! By disturbing the circula-
ton drink will cause an apparent in
crease of heat for little time. MI
merous cases of almost instant death
from drinking considerable quantity
of alcohol have occurred. 1t might be
better for society if those addicted to
the use of strong drink would just
take one large dose of pure alcohol
and be done with it. 1t would prevent
many heart-aches and tears. Indis-
Greet people frequently rush to whisky
in many diseases when it has absolute
ly no curative power. 1t may make
one oblivious to disease while the
effect is on, but disease goes on the
same. 1t infames every membrane~it
comes in contact with. 1t quickens
circulation, but at the same time enters
into and poisons the blood. It attacks
the brain, brutalizes the mind, makes
life wretched by the horrid demands
for more, and turns peaceful death
into a terrible departure and hell.
Whisky never cured any disease, but
has ruined thousands. 1t has place
in nature, but not as remedy for dis
ease. 1t is ruinous to trife with for it
leads down to the bottomless pit of
torment.
Strong drink causes much of the in
sanity with which this fair world of
ours is afflicted. Indeed, the man who
drinks to excess but once, will be in
sane so long as the effect of liquor
lasts; for the influence of strong drink
upon the mental faculties is such as to
completely derange the mind for a
time. An intoxicated man should be
pitied the same as one temporarily in
sane. But God demands temperance
in all things. Strong drink shortens
life. Statistics show that for ten tenn
perate persons who die between the
age of 81 and %, 81 Incorporate persons
die. [ would condemn strong drink
because it is most prolific source of
financial embarrassment and ruin.
Eminent authorities declare that in
temperance causes three fourths of the
crime of our country. Hence, we must
spend oceans of money in build
ing prisons, reformatories, maintain
courts, supporting officers of the law,
most of which would be uncalled for
but for the accursed power of strong
drink.
Intemperance cuts down youth in its
vigor, manhood in it's strength and age
in its weakness. It weakens the fond
fathers heart, bereaves the doting
mother, extinguishes natural affection,
blasts parental hopes, brings down
! ] M,gsSY ~