The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1904-08-11

ing Of the Bible when properly
interpreted leads to u total abstin.
ence from the use Of such bever-
ages.
These opinions lead me to n
definition of temperance, and to
u discussion Of the effects of al
Cohol from scientific standpoint.
Temperance means strictly the
moderate use of things which are
beneficial in their results, but to-
tai abstinence from things which
are harmful in their results. Into
which class shall we place alco-
holic drinks? 1t used to be the
opinion Of the medical and sclen-
tilic world that alcohol was a food
i'll It's proper and temperate use.
A few years ago, series of ex-
periments was conducted by Mr..
Atwater, of Ohio, / believe, to
prove that alcohol is properly a
food. But the medical journals
have almost unanimously dis
counted his demonstration, and
shown flaws in his argument, and
mistakes in his experiments. The
medical world is rapidly coming
to the conclusion that alcohol is
always, in whatever form 1t is
used, u poison. If 1T has any
uses, they are the uses of poison,
and it should no more be used
without a competent physician s
advice and direction, than NOR
phia or strychnine Two or three
years ago the medical association
of Boston, one of the most emf
nent assemblies of physicians in
the u. 5. adopted a resolution
unanimously declaring that al
cohol is never a food to build
up the system, but II poison to
break it down. When the great
Austrian surgeon, DR.. Lorenz was
in this country, last year, at u
social function given in his honor,
some wine was offered him. He
politely set it aside and asked for
some tea. When one of the
guests asked if he was a tee -total-
er. he answered. II am not a
crank or agitator, but | am II
surgeon, and cannot afford to
take into my stomach u drink
that will unsettle my nerves, and
impair my Judgment. A surgeon
cannot use alcohol. He evident
ly had the same opinion that was
expressed by the Boston physl-
clans, viz. alcohol is always and
only a poison.
1t is universal poison. Pour
it on bit of green grass or sword
and in a few moments the life and
greatness IS parched out of it.
There is saying that a dead
snake will wiggle it's tail till sun
down, but if you will administer
u teaspoonful of alcohol, to u SER
pent it's tail will stop moving in
three minutes. Under this poi
sonous draught grasshopper,
will perform the uncertain gyra-
tions that are accustomed TO at
tribute to a drunken man, and
after trying in vain to get his
legs to work in unison, the poor
grasshcpper will keel over into
the gutter, a fair illustration of
drunken fellowman. A chicken
will not eat bread saturated with
alcohol, and u dog must have his
natural aversion to the poisonous
drug educated out of him. before
he will touch anything that has
the smell OF spirits about it. Sc
the whole animal world is warned
against the poisonous thing by
the instinct of self preservation
The peculiar action that this
poison has on the human system
is very instructive. Alcohol has
tremendous affinity for water.
1t licks it up like sponge. Now
all the internal surfaces of the
human body have a large portion
of water in them. The lining o.
the digestive system is an album
nous substance like the white o.
an egg. If you will place thu
white of an egg in glass anC
pour some alcohol over it, in ,
moment it will be cooked as hare
as if it had been boiled for iiv
minutes. So the mucous mem
brance of the system are burne'
to Il leathery crisp Ivy the alcohol
1t is II poisonous poison. 1t pen
etrates the whole system, and ali
serbs whatever albumen it ca
find. Did yon ever think wha
it means that you can smell
drunkard's breath for hours afte
he has drank his draught? TIL
alcohol was taken into the stom
ach, but the breath comes fror
the lungs. Now before tn
breath can be contaminated
the alcohal must penetrate fou
or five partitions, and get int
the lung cells to be eXhaled a
fumes. So you see it works it
Garv functiOn on every mart q