The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-09-30
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ASouT
THE VICE OF. INTeMPERANcE.

as q IreulSpOSluS auu CAeAtAhS S-se0S
of Disease and Crime-Rum DiInin'
ishes the Strength of the Body.
James Thacher, NJ. D., was prominent
physician and surgeon throughout the
Revolutionary War. He was man OF
keen observation and sound judgment.
In addition to his valuable Military Jour.
nal, he published his celebrated Modern
Practice of Medicine.
/ quote from this work his opinion re-
garding the effect of ardent spirits on y,
for it was not generally believed seventy
five years ago that wine, beer and other
"soft drinks were harmful.
There are marked chronic effects OF
ardent spirits upon the body and the mind.
On the body they dispose to every form
of disease. Moreover, they excite various
diseases, as obstruction of the liver, jaun.
dice, dropsy, cough, consumption and other
pulmonary diseases, eruptions on She face
and nose, called rum buds 1--WE call them
rum blossoms now, and gout IN all It's
forms. s., >.
"Ardent spirits often incite fatal dis.
eases without producing drunkness; i
have known many persons destroyed by
intoxicated during the whole course OF
their lives. The solitary instance OF lon.
gevity which are now and then met with
in hard drinkers no more disprove the
deadly effect of ardent spirits than the
solitary instances of recoveries from
drowning prove that there is no danger
to life from human body lying an hour
or two under water.
"Not less destructive are the effects os
distilled spirits upon the human mind.
Dr.. Waters, of Pennsylvania Hospital,
tells me that the insanity of one-thlrd OF
the patients there was induced by alcoholic
drinks They impair the memory, debili-
tate the understanding, and peryert the
moral faculties. Not only falsehood is
produced by them, but uncleanness, fraud,
theft and murder. No more affecting spec.
tacle can be exhibited than g. person whose
condition has been generated by the habit
of drinking ardent spirits.
as he a husband?! How deep the an.
guish which rends the bosom of his wife!
Is the drinker wife? Who can measure
the shame and aversion which she excites
has he been called to fill responsible po-
stion in the councils Of the nation!
What humiliating fears Of corruption in
the administration of the laws appear in
the countenance of all who see him! ls
he a minister of the Gospel? Here Ian
guage fails ne. II angels weep it is at
such sight. Poverty and misery, crimes
and infamy, disease and death are all the
natural and usual consequences of the pro-
longed use. Of ardent spirits. And this
death is suicide.
"But the use of distilled liquors is be.
lieved by many people. to give strength
to to the body in certain circumstances; ICES
weather. This is not true; for the tenn
porary warmth produced is always sue
ceeded by a greater; disposition of the
body to be affected by cold They are also
declared to be needed in very warm
weather. Experience shows that increas.
ing instead of lessening the effect Of heat
upon the body is the result OF their use.
DR.. Bell, of the West Indies, declares that
body and renders men unfit for any SER
vice in which vigor and activity are re-
"Ardent spirits do not lessen the effect
of hard labor upon the body. Look at
the horse; with every muscle of his body
swollen from morning till night when at
itached to plow of in team! Does ne
make signs for glass Of toddy to enable
him to do his work? MOI He requires
n6thing but cool water and substantial
food. There Is no nourishment in ardent
spirits. So great Is the danger of con-
tracing a love for distilled liquors that
the smallest amount possible should be
prescribed by a physician. A physician
of eminence who died near the close of the
last century in London lamented in pa
thetic terms that he had lnnocentiy made
many sots By prescribing brandy. and wa:
ter in summer complaints. Smoking and
simple beverages insipid, dispose to the
use OF ardent spirits. i
"No man ever became a drunkard sud-
denly. By gradually accustoming. the
taste and stomach to ardent spirits
habit is formed, and the desire for moro
liquor increases; the odious nuisance of
dram drinkers breath becomes a per.
manent acquisition, with the accompani-
ment Of downright stupidity and impo-
tence.
Ministers of the Gospel of every de-
nomination in the United States aid me
with all the weight of the influence you
possess, by your precept and example, 70
prevent the multitude of crimes and mis-
cries the offspring of strong drink!
"It is highly probable. that not lesa
than 1000 people die annually in the United
Where are all the Indian tribes whose
numbers and arms formerly spread terror
among their civilized neighbors? In the
words of the famous Mingo chief, tho
blood Of many of them flows not In the
veins of any human creature.
"They have perished not by pestilence
or war, but by greater foe to human life
than either. Of these, ardent spirits. :. :,
The loss of 1000 American citizens by the
yellow fever in single year awakened
general sympathy and terror, and called
all the strength and ingenuity of laws to
prevent its recurrence. Why is not the
same zeal manifested in protecting our
citizens from the more general and con-
sunling ravages of distilled spirits?"-
Henry D. Didama, NJ. D., Vice-President
of American Medical Temperance AssociS
ton.