Year: 1871

{
lus or narcotic, how those confident reso.
lutions evaporate! How weak and yield
ing the strongest man becomes.


The more there is to man, the more
he has of nerve and brain. the stronger
his habits, and the stronger the effort re-
quired to break them. There are few
men, who have fairly formed the habit,
that can start up and say, ''Henceforth
will use no more opium. tobacco, or alco-
holic liquor" aud carry out their good re-
solution without stumbling or falling
We have known hundreds try, and have
seen many of them 60 back to the old
habit


The truth is these unnatural habits are
neither more or less than diseased con-
dition of the nervous system; and when
the accustomed stimulant or narcotic is
suddenly Withdrawn, the nervous system,
the very basis of our life, our resolution,
and our manliness. is likely to break down
and become almost powerless to maintain
the fight. 1t cannot easily fight ITSELF
1t is like hunger feeding on its own per-
son. The only cure of intemperance. the
only radical and permanent release from
its thralldom. is to restore the nervous
system to health and bring about its nor
NAL action. All other reforms is simply
en- forced virtue, but better than none.-
Those who by strength of will, the sym
pathetic aid of friends, shame, hope. and
fear, aided by religious faith, are able to
assert their freedom. and endure the dis
comfort and temptation to indulgence un-
til time and kindly nature cure the nerv-
GUS system, should at once enter upon the
reform, and be thankful for the extraor-
dinary power by which they can achieve
their victory.


In nearly all cases of intemperance,
whether from the use of alcoholic liquors.
opium, or tobacco, the habit is formed
gradually At first the stomach and the
brain revolt at it. The intoxication is a
confused state of mind, kind of insanity
which is exceedingly disagreeable. The
first cigar makes the boy sick aud pale.
with deadly horror, of tobacco. The be-
ginner learns to take a less amount, and
to stop before he goes to excess. After a
while he can endure half cigar. then a
whole one, until at last he can smoke ten
hours in day. Every day the nervous
lsystem comes more aud more to depend on
THE narcotic, until, if it were suddenly
withdrawn, there would be such prostra-
tion as finds no parallel except in the re-
pentant devotees of those other twin evils.
opium and alcohol.


If the health, force, resolution, and
moral purpose of a man depend largely
upon the integrity of the nervous system
and that system has become demoralized
by the use of the stimulant or the narcotic
and thereby the man has become slave
to the habit, how can he etfectually achieve
his emancipation but by restoring that
system to its normal condition? And how
can this be done? Some have a compar-
asively insensitive nervous system and
strong and vigorous constitutions, and
consequently stimulants and narcotics do
not take so complete hold upon them as
would be the case with more susceptible
nature. Such persons, if the habit be not
Of too long standing, can cut it off at once;
can arise and declare immediate emanci-
patton, and stand by that declaration un-
til the system recuperates and secures its
former balance. They can stide the prac-
tice, and endure the self-denial until na-
ture restores the nervous system. OF
these there may be five in a hundred but
the more sensitive ninety may form
excellent resolutions only, in most cases,
to break them.


As the effects of rum and tobacco on
the system create disease. the way to
conquer the habit is to cure the disease.
The first and most important requisite to
this result is to rectify the habits of living
Plain and simple food. without spices,
mustard, vinegar or sugar, should be a.
dopted. If one is accustomed to the use
of coffee and tea, these should be gradu-
ally reduced in strength. In other words.
nourish, but do not stimulate the system
in any way. The patient should sleep a.
bundantly. to rest the nerves and brain
If it be tobacco which the patient would
be rid of. let him ascertain how much
satisfies him for week, and reduce this
amount by, say one-tenth, for the use of
the next week, and so each subsequent
week, using but nine-tenths as much as
was used the week previous. In this way
the amount taken will be so gradually re-
duced that nature will be able, week by
week. to fill up the vacuum as fast as the
narcotic is withdrawn In three months
time the amount will have been so much
reduced, aud the system SO far restored 70
normal condition thereby, that manly
resolve to sweep away the last vestige Of
the habit forever. may be taken with a
fair hope-indeed. with positive assur-
ance-of success Such reformation,
faithfully carried forward with religious
integrity. will bring the man to freedom
from the dominion of the habit. and to
soundness Of health and constitution.


The same rule will apply to the use Of
opium or alcoholic liquors. and if faithful
ly followed will surely bring about a per-
manent reform. So much depends on the
plainness of the diet and correctness of the
habits, generally. aside from the particu.