South-Carolina Temperance Advocate, 1839-07-18

drstiucd to pass into thu hands oft he scion- j lific physicimi, iiut neversafe in any others. The inforinulion received fnmi our corres correspondents, - pondents, correspondents, and our own nliscrv utinti, assigns to the use of indent spirits as u direct cause, more than halt of tin diseases arid deaths in this state. Its remote eflrets are still more extensile. Were a general enquiry to lie made, not one adult in an hundred would lie louiid to possess a perfectly sane constitution, soipu derangement, some local weakness i would lie found, dis|HMting him to lie ncted j on hy a thousand causes l>v which he is sur surrounded. - rounded. surrounded. This imperfect state of constitu constitution - tion constitution must have liecn inherited from hjs an ancestors - cestors ancestors m su|>criuduccd I y his own impru impru<|oOi'«i, - <|oOi'«i, impru<|oOi'«i, II* ll.ii I,iitmir it is of rolirsl* \illlv . lliiowmg Ihn lihiine one or two genetations ' hack. How is this state of things to he ac- ' counted for! \\ ere all the othei causes of constitutional derangement examined it would lie found that their united eHints would not amount to one tenth part which in this couu couutry - try couutry results from the use of intoxicating |i |i-|uors. - -|uors. |i-|uors. Insanity is dreadfully increased by this cause. Dr. Calhoun of Camhiidgc, in this state, says, "from long titul attentive oliserva oliservatioii, - tioii, oliservatioii, l have come to the conclusion that u large uuinher of our cases of insanitv are at attributalilc - tributalilc attributalilc to intempcniiice. The inordinate 1 use of spirits may not only excite it or hasten the dcve!o|ieiiictit of a predisposition to it in the uiifoitunatc di unkind himself, but may found in his family an ht rctbtvrij j>n nml thus inflict on un innocent oflspiing u malady more deplorable than any other with which our race has yet Wen assailed." One more question, and we have done with this unpleasant part of our subject. Can a ; man, in the habitual excessive use of ardent 1 spit its, discontinue the Use ut once without . danger? We answer yes, as the billowing fuels will shew. In the prison, in the statu of Maine, the cx cxpeiimeiit - peiimeiit cxpeiimeiit has been tried of culling off habitu habitual - al habitual drunkards at once from the use of spiritu spirituous - ous spirituous liquors mid roiitiniug them lo water. - i he result has been iurarialJ't fararaldt to health. The experiment has also lieen tried in the state prison in Xew Hampshire with the same result. Mr. Powers, the intelligent keeper of the prison at Auburn, New York, nflii ms that the most besotted drunkard* in ihut institution have never suffered in their ' health by breaking ofl'uf ant e the use ofspiri- 1 toons liquors. The physician, who attends -bxi di -v«rwvj -«.» !»->«.- t>«. tun, has piescrilied entire abstinence fiom ar ardent - dent ardent spirits, to two hundred and fifty drun drunkirds - kirds drunkirds sent to that establishment, and nut of j the whole of this iiumlier of luitieuts sufTeriug under this disease, he has by ahthurure lost mot one. I.et it then be no longer said, that the bard drinker must correct his destructive hubil by drifrer*. If be can bring bis mind j to the course, liis health will not suffer by it. ;

rrom tin* «it nation, liuivevrr, lio was also soon illiVeil by intemperance. lit* tli«-n roum to New York, wlieru lie nai employed as assistant editor of one of the morning papers, ami proved himself u man of very *n|>ciior talent. Hut hi* unrelenting enemy. alcohol, very soon left l.iiu again without employment, urnl, after enduring extreme jmveity loi mine time, lie liernme clerk to one of llie theatres. Ili* habits nmv liecame worse tlmn ever, utnl he was so seliloin sober tlmt lie was soon tiiitit'il away frmii the theatre, ami found himself w ithout any mean* of earning lurml. In oriler to prevent himself starving, he was next obliged to liemnic a mere menial drudge, and rim on errands, nr do anv tiling by which lie could earn a shilling. Ili nmv reemed to have lost nil recollection of what he had once |ieen, or might still lie if he could get r'it* , n,u"r'dle habit of inieniiwian. e. and lie liecame a low drunken loafer, who would associate with any one, or go any where, to get a glass of grog. Alcohol was all he now cared for, and he was seldom or never sober. Such a career could not but soon close in death or insanity, and the latter has l>ccn the conscipieure in his case, and ho is to lie sent to the l.unutic Asylum. Thus, an accomplished scholar, possessing talents, of most resjieclahle connexions, ami who liegnn the world with a brilliant prospect, and all tlm means of making a glorious career, has it cut short while yet io the piimtt of life by indulging in that most irrational of all sensual gratifications, ,1 hoho). And as if nothing should Ik) wanting in render his fate melancholy ami deplorable, he has lell a young and interesting family depending foi their daily bread on their own feeble anil in inefficient - efficient inefficient industry, or the world's cold cliaiitv. - Journal nf t\mmrrrr. We know the individual mentioned in the a!eve report from the Journal of Commerce, ami know every thing that is said of him to Ik- true, lie u a mail of line talents and thorough education - not only connected w ilii some u! the liist families in England and Irehiml, hut actually heir presumptive to a lii ill'll peerage, and u magiiiliceiit estate. - Most iiiclum holy is it to see the degradation of such a mini ! The insanity that is upon him, however, we tiust is hutteni|sirarv. It is, we doubt not, a dcliiium trenu ns, fmiti which we Iioim- he will recover, am] makeup his mind, when lie comes out of it, never again to touch or come within touching dis distance - tance distance of intoxicating drink. - A. Y. Ua^rllr.

Ur. Moultrie, <»l ( hot 'cat on, Ray* "No truth I U-lievc to lif lief ter established than that the use of ardent or <Ii->tii11 > 1 ^|>it it» in jm -liumlr, ninl perhaps I may mhl in any other climate, not nrcwsirj' to the presorv alion of health under any circumstances, and that »o fur from operating as a picveutiott against marsh mi miasm - asm miasm it-i or contagion, it would lie dillieult to name any other single cause which Ims con contributed - tributed contributed more than this to favor its fatality and extension." Dr. Cox, of Sumter District, *3 vs, "Under no circumstances whatever, have I ever wit witnessed - nessed witnessed the huhijii.il,"*>> . 1 ... , nrini to tiealtTi.Tnit in every instance, I U-licve its elici ts have lieen more or less injurious." Dr. Kurd, of Augusta, says, "My ow n ob observation - servation observation has nhuiiduntly satisfieil me, that the use of distilled spirits is not necessary to the preservation of health, where health already exists. 1 cannot conceive any combination of circumstances, that ran render its constant use necessary. In those circumstances of meat exposure to heal and cold, in which some of the occupations of human life [dace , its, where heretofore its use his lieen cons:- ! deled iudi-|>fusuhly ncecssurv, the careful and honest observation of the few years past, ! ill the eastern and northern slates, has shew n its use not only to lie unnecessary hut posi positively - tively positively hurtful." It is not necessary to rite more opinions to prove that distilled spirits are never necessa necessary - ry necessary to the iiroservation of health, hut that even their nutderatr use is /sminovi and liitlmr liitlmrtire - tire liitlmrtire of it. The catalogue of tin: diseases pro produced - duced produced or aggravated by it ate detailed in eve- j ry letter In-foie vour committee. Dr. Dickson, says, "The |aivsical effects of ardent spirits licynnd intoxication (itself a severe though temporary ufliction,) nro de developed - veloped developed u|M>u the brain mid digestive system. It produce* a chronic inllamatioii of the brain, the stomach ami the liver; the immediate | conseipiences of which are mania a potu, (in (insanity - sanity (insanity from drink.) indigestion, hepatic dvs dvsentary - entary dvsentary mid dropsies. It may directly aggra aggravate, - vate, aggravate, and cilher doectlv or ind rectly produce almost every disease in the dialogue of no- J snlogistK."

no i outlet Item .vii-iliral Phh ioIv, nt a late meeting, titlopti'il tin* followini» resolution: "ItrmJml, That in the opinion of this cotiven cotiventitiif, - titiif, cotiventitiif, ardent spirit* have no tendency to pro protfft - tfft protfft tin* ay .at fin fi mi iliseji «*, init render it nioro susceptible of contagion, ami other cau causes - ses causes of disease, increases tlicir violence, ant] renders them mom fatal.*' I he New -\ ork Meilieal S«x'iety resolved, " 1 hat «<! will ium; our influence to correct l!ie jm/mf'ir trior, that Wlmt i.a called a mod moderate - erate moderate use of urdent spirit*. is coiuliirive to im/rt." 'I he State Meilieal Society of New NewJersey, - Jersey, NewJersey, resolved that, "We consider mtirr tilHianre from the use of ardent spirits in any torin, as the only safeguard against its deleterious t (let t». \V ilhout such al-stincnru there run l>e no safety. - The occasional use of spirituous litiuors has ilestniyetl its tens or thousand*. It is tint rock around which the lames of millions have whitened, a gu!|ih from whose Kainio no traveller returns, where fame, ( ;ri. ne, h<>|io, health and life perish." One of the county Medical Societies of Con Connecticut - necticut Connecticut resolved, "That na entire alwtinence Irom ardent spirits is alstolutely necessary to the enjoyment of sound health That the motif mlr un of ardent spirits is the exclusive cause tif many diseases ; and that a variety of others tni"lit he easily removed, if they w ere not rendered iiu-utsh'e from the same cause." These authorities are so overwhelming, that it would seem to lie unnecessary to add mote, and your Committee would not do so hut that they hare often heard the assertion made, that the opinions alswc expressed may he right as it rcs|iecta rohl, hut that they are not apphcahlo I "-arm dimatn. This motI fatal trior, it is necessary to correct; and to enable us to do so, wo addressed the follow following - ing following ipieiics to many respectable Physicians of our own state: - la tho use of Distilled Spirits in out cli climate, - mate, climate, necessary to the preservation of health uuder any circumstances! Is it ever useful as tho means of curing dis disease - ease disease I And if so, can its place be supplied by other Medicines! Wbat are the physical effects of the excess -

KKI*« ut r Of ii (\'>HMittre a/ijmiHleil for the Fnrma/iim u) a Ti mjirruurr Sonety, ih Uolumhut, Sii. ' Cir. The Committee appointed l»y the meeting ! assembled in Columbia, «11 Ii the vim to the [ formation of a Teni|>eraiice Society, utul charged wilIi in.jm, ies as to the influence of Im.MiijM!rHiiro on the health, tlio morals, ami ( the prosperity of our country, res|H.'dfully ; -u(unit the following Kep.nt: - Your Committee might have satisfied the ' requisition nnule on them, hy a general view of the suhjeet; hut being convinced, that the prevalence) of liiteiti|H*rance is owing in some measure to mistaken views, and to a want of lull mfoiniiitiou on niuiiy matters connected with it; and that reformation is to lie attained only hy a devclopeni.u! of facts and opinions, abets ing tW nature, the extent, and enormity of the evil, they regarded it pro|M*r to present those facts and opinions in a sha|ie, and with the weight of authoiity not to l*> ipiestioned. They oiler this as an apology for the length of their liejiort. Tlieii attention was first drawn to the phy physical - sical physical efiects of distilled spirits on the human constitution. Here they found that utmost every author, who has written on the subject, has stated his conviction, that the use of ardent spirits is not merely umunuary, hut absolute- j ly 1*0 minimi to health. Hr. Paris, an eminent Kurojiean writer of the present day, in his Treatise on Diet, says, 411 he atl ui extruding, alcoholic liipmrs (ar (ardent - dent (ardent spirits) hy distillation from vinous li liipiots, - ipiots, liipiots, must I*, regarded as the grralnt tunc ever inflicted onUuman nature." In his work c tiled Fiat mm "I "iim t he says, "Spit its induce severe dys|«e|H>ia, obtruded and hardened liver, dropsy, mid nmre than half of all our rhmnieul diseases." And Dr. Darwin re remarks, - marks, remarks, "That when they aiisefrnm this cauae, they are liable to become lurnlitny, even to the third generation, gradually increasing, if the cause lie continued, till tin family be becomes - comes becomes extinct." Dr. Trotter, in hia famous Treatise on Dt ..nkenness, says, ''Amidst all the evils of human life, no cauae of disease has so wide a

il tli> in 'ln il nt it. i In'** nu n wi n' nil i ll) ployed (ill the name work, and Innl precisely lliu name bonrd, I. xlyinir ami I mat incut throughout. It is known to oiir of your com committee - mittee committee that on one ol'ilic public ivmln, where all the lulionrris wore from I Yiinsylvunia. not a death from lever occunvil in two siinnnei* and afitmuns. There men were Uiyoinl the reach of dram shop*, and were runted in their allowance of spirit*. Their numlicr ex exceeded - ceeded exceeded oiir htindied. We should not have thought it neccaaaiv to ray any thing of ardent spirits 9a an arti article - cle article of i|it: tna'cria inedica, Innl i's mu* lieen confined to the liuiid* of the faculty, where ita name in a medicine of |misniiiiiis charac character - ter character would place it. Hut unfortunately it has aicninicd the importance in popular catima lion of an a I in out universal catholicon, and is l>y too many teaorted to in every rase of in indisposition. - disposition. indisposition. The evils resulting from this practice are almost iiiealcuhihle. When it is taken into consideration that in a vast majori majority - ty majority of diseases them is inflummiition existing in some part of the system requiring nailing medicines, and almost alw ays ansi ejitilile of lieing increased to u mortal degree id violence l*y «n opposite treatment, some idea may In Informed - formed Informed of the imminent risk a person runs hv swallowing ardent spirits in strkneas. We have tin doul't that many cases of slight in indisposition, - disposition, indisposition, which a day 01 two ofahstitienre or a dose of nailing medicine would remove, ! am aggravated into violent and fatal fevers by the use ofardeul spirits, under the erroneous notion of increasing the strength. In fact scarcely any other poison in nature would In Inmom - mom Inmom ha/.uidou* us a medicine in unpro unprofessional - fessional unprofessional hands, than ardent spirits. With arsenic, corrosive sublimate, opium and other > poisons, they may la; safe in the lahuratory of the chemist, or on the shelf of the ntaithecarv.

ivt- iiai* nl it, mill w lial discuses air pioduccd or aggravated |iy it' (>1 llii- disease* mid death* within the rir rirclo - clo rirclo of your practice, wliut |>r> - >rt i< >ti mny l»c uttti 1 <111i-il to intemperance .» the ilireet or remote cause! To what extent, mny insanity in our com comniunity, - niunity, comniunity, he owing to the exc«svsivo use of nr nrilenl - ilenl nrilenl spirits; either directly or !iy hastening the dcvelopement of n predi*|«i*itinu to il! To what extent according toyour observa observation, - tion, observation, has the moral sense been prostrated hy its itillueneef * To Haws enquiries the following, among many answers, were returned - Dr. 1 relevant, of ('olmnl.in, says, "To your first question, I answer no : under mo nr'ium nr'ium*la - *la nr'ium*la Mm with whieli I inn acquainted is it tie tierrs«nry - rrs«nry tierrs«nry to resort to the habitual use of anient spirits." Dr. Kiln in Faust, of the same place, snvs, "*1 he use of neither distilled nor other alcie liolic liquids me ever necessary under <?*y rir rirrvinrl.-Mira - rvinrl.-Mira rirrvinrl.-Mira lor the preservation of health /« on if t Innate." Dr. DeSausstirn, of the tame place, says, "T lie use of distilled spirits am never neces necessary - sary necessary to the preservation of health under any circumstances. In raid climates, if them lie a reason or exruau for their use, for whieh*l am satisfied there is no foiiudattoii, how much less is there in our ictirn climate, where the system is lor two thirds of tin* year already under too gieat excitement." Dr. Diekson, of Charleston, snvs, "Anient spirits can never Ik* necessary to the preser preservation - vation preservation of heulih. Few or none in our worm i/nnatri can use ardent spirits, however mode modelately, - lately, modelately, il habitually, with impunity ; and as all, or utmost all, have used it habitually, at least until very lately, the indirect or (emote effect of it in inducing a certain degree of de deterioration - terioration deterioration of constitution has seemed almost universal."