Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-06-03
w. C. T. u.
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND TO-
BACCO UPON CHILDREN.

DAANO UfON NElkLDNEN.
The following paper was recently |
read before a Barton w. &. T.U. meet |
| ing by local woman:
Why teach the children the effects of
alcohol and tobacco? Why not teach
the children the effects of alcohol and
tobacco? This seems to me one OF the
most important things a child should
know and I think it cannot be taught
at too early an age. The chill must
begin to build strong body and he
must be taught how to do it and the
teaching must begin early in Life.
| On April 18th, 1889, DR. George acoby
presented to the New York Neurologis
cal Society, a four and half year old
boy suffering from alcoholic paralysis
This child had taken from one half to
full tumbler of beer daily from the
age Of six months. OF course there
are not many cases like this but it is
( true that in an examination of forty
one thousand school children, it was
found that 33 per cent were drinkers
of beer, six per cent. were drinkers of
both beer and spirits.
! Now in order to protect the growing
little body instruction must be given
as to the danger of alcohol to the child.
DR.. MacNicholls of New York SAYS.
"Alcohol is antagonistic to the func-
tons and life of the cellular elements
of the body One Of the first actions
of alcohol is to attack the sentinel cells,
which under normal conditions warn
the organs against the invasion of
disease and bring together all the body
force to keep out the invaders. Small
doses of alcohol put these cells to sleep,
large doses paralyze the cells and make
them an easy prey to toxic germs.
while the continued use Of alcohol in
large or small doses eventually hope
lessly puts them out of commission or
destroys them"
Phillips Brooks said, "He who helps
a child helps humanity with distinct
ness, with an immediateness, which no
other help given to human creatures in
any other stage of their life, can posi-
bly, give"
Then surely the place where much
can be done for humanity is in the
school and in the home before the child
is old enough to go to school. And to
the teachers in our public schools and
to US mothers is intrusted this great
opportunity.
The object Of instruction is purely
development, physically, mentally,
morally and spiritually A complete
man is one who is properly developed,
physically. mentally, morally. and spir-
itually. If he is not thus developed he
!, is not whole man. Temperance
teaching has for its object the highest
good of the whole man. We all know
that the child will soon become man
and that the child is easily Influenced.
Therefore every opportunity should be
used to strengthen the rising genera
ton against the pitfalls.
The day has already come when the
boy who not been taught in the
schoolroom or at home the evil effects
of alcohol and who has not made that
instruction part of his own character
has only a small chance in the business
world. The Boston and NJ aine railroad,
the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford, and. in truth, ninety per cent of
the railroads into our country demand
total abstinence on the part of its en-
ployees while on duty. The New York
Central system has this rule. ''The
use of intoxicants by employees while
. on duty is prohibited. Their habitua
use or the freauenting of places where
;. they are sold, is sufficient cause fol
dismissal" Since steam and electric
ity have become the motive power il
' the industrial world, managers Of the
great factories have studied the effec
:. of stimulants and have come to III,
conclusion that they cannot emplo!
men whose brains are not clea
= and whose nerves are not steady wher
!, costly equipment and the protection O
: human lives are involved. This i
l. true in the large banking houses an,
even in agriculture.
l. From what has been learned as t
IS effects of stmulants and narcotics upo
ID the system we have II per cent o
s. those engaged in agriculture, 80 pc
cent of those engaged in business an
S8 per cent of the manufacturers of tn
= United States. demanding abstinenc
,, on the part of the workman.
=. Now it is perfectly clear that i
: order that the boy In school may hav
fair chance to make his living h,
4. must be taught the psychological rea
s son for these rules, by which he mus
s. be governed in the business world. H
at must, by studying the laws of his ow
being, see for himself that he ca
b, give his employer best service onl
- =. when he himself has been obedient t
N the laws written in living tissues
IT The only hope of getting rid of alec
~ hol and narcotics is through the chi
dren. Then there is the field in whic
e. to work. Here are 5000. 900, childre
s. in the United States who should kno,
l5 the dangers of intemperance and VIII
should learn to fight against it. Her
~ is a picture.-There is a child playin
~ in his boat. Below, perhaps mile
=. - away, there is waterfall. He doe
~ ~ not know about this and drifts dow
!" towards the dreadful precipice. He trie
to row out of the current but it is tc
e, late. But on the banks there stands
ry strong man, the means and knowleda
r. to help him at his command. Surel
10 he will rescue the child. But no,
stands still, watching the child dri1
to destruction. What do we think /
such man. Of course we all say
I is not fit to be called man. He is a
most a murderer Are we not all liz