the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第61章

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that　hushed　them　all　into　respectful　silence；　for　a　respectable；　earnest
woman；
with　the　Holy　Book　in　her　hand；　will　have　a　subduing　effect　upon
almost　any　company　of　people。

Mrs。　Nation　announced　her　text；　and　preached　a　sermon；　and　delivered
a　temperance　lecture；　both　within　the　half…hour。　（The　latter　she　calls
a　〃prohibition　lecture〃hating　the　word　temperance；　as　applied　to　drink。）

She　said　words；　such　as　had　probably　not　been　heard　by　most　of　those
there；　for　a　great　many　years。　She　told　them　what　sots　they　were　making
of　themselves；　and　made　her　points　so　emphatic　that　they　cheered　her
almost　in　spite　of　themselves。　She　commenced　her　speech　as　an　experiment；
so　far　as　that　day's　audience　was　concerned；　she　closed　a
heroine。　She　did　not　remain　idle　during　the　time　between　her　appearances
on　the　stage；　but　cultivated　the　acquaintances　of　the　actors　and　actresses；
and；　it　is　said；　to　their　good。

That　is　what　Mrs。　Nation　is　doing　now；　on　what　is　called　the　eastern
vaudeville　circuit；　and　it　would　be　hard　to　see　how　one　woman　could　do
more　good　in　half　an　hour；　than　she　does；　and　that　among　those　that
need　it　most。

Mrs。　Nation's　whole　name　is　Carrie　Amelia　Nation；　but　having　noticed
from　old　records　that　her　father　wrote　the　first　name　〃Carry；〃　she
now　does　the　same；　and　considers　the　name　portentous　as　concerns　what
she　is　trying　and　means　to　do。　She　believes；　she　says；　that　it　is　her　mission
to　〃carry　a　nation〃　from　the　darkness　of　drunken　bestiality　into　the
light　of　purity　and　sobriety；　and　if　she　can　do　this；　or　in　any　great　measure
contribute　to　it；　there　are　millions　of　people　in　the　world；　that　will
bid　her　Good　speed。



CHAPTER　XXVIII。

A　scientific　article　on　the　effects　of　alcohol　on　the　human　system。
If　any　doctor　should　try　to　deceive　you　here　is　the　proof　of　his　malicious
intent　to　drug　you。

LIQUOR　DRINKING　IN　HEALTH　AND　DISEASE。

REPORT　OF　THE　COMMITTEE　UPON　THE　PROGRESS　MADE　IN　MEDICAL　SCIENCE
IN　FAVOR　OF　TEMPERANCE　DURING　THE　YEAR　ENDING　JUNE　1；　1902A。　W。
GUTRIDGE；　CHAIRMAN。　READ　AT　THE　THIRTY…FIRST　ANNUAL　CONVENTION
OF　THE　CATHOLIC　TOTAL　ABSTINENCE　UNION　OF　THE　ARCHDIOCESE　OF　ST。
PAUL；　AND　ORDERED　PUBLISHED　BY　THE　CONVENTION。


In　order　to　understand　what　progress　has　been　made　during　the　year；
it　is　necessary　to　note　the　condition　of　affairs　at　the　commencement　of
the　period。

Long　before　this　committee　began　work　the　leading　physicians　of
every　enlightened　country；　the　men　to　whom　the　entire　profession　looks
for　guidance；　had　declared　against　the　use　of　alcohol　both　in　health　and
in　disease。

　　　　　　　　　　IS　ALCOHOL　A　DRINK！

One　reason　why　all　the　greatest　physicians　believed　it　harmful　was
because　it　had　been　found　that　alcohol　was　not　a　drink。　The　most　abundant
substance　found　in　the　human　body；　is　water。　About　130　pounds　of
the　weight　of　a　160…pound　person　is　water；　〃Quite　enough　if　rightly
arranged　to　drown　him。〃　Man　has　been　irreverently　described　as　〃about
30　pounds　of　solids　set　up　in　13　gallons　of　water。〃　So　it　is　quite　natural
for　us　to　hunger　for　water；　〃death　by　thirst　is　more　rapid　and　distressing
than　by　starvation。〃　〃It　is　through　the　medium　of　the　water　contained
in　the　animal　body　that　all　its　vital　functions　are　carried　on。〃
Dr。　W。　B。　Richardson　of　England　has　pointed　out　more　than　fifty
characteristics　of　the　action　of　a　natural　drink　upon　the　system。　The　action
of　alcohol　is　the　opposite　of　these　in　every　particular；　and　therefore　it
is　not　a　real　or　natural　drink。　Of　course　the　water　which　is　found　in
mixture　in　all　alcoholic　liquors　serves　to　quench　thirst；　even　though　it
is　often　foul　water。

　　　　　　　　　　IS　IT　A　FOOD！

We　also　found；　upon　taking　up　the　work　imposed　upon　us；　that
alcohol　had　been　demonstrated　not　to　be　a　food。　Many　classifications
of　foods　have　been　made；　but　about　the　best　is　that　which　divides　them
broadly　into　two　classes：　to　use　homely　language；　flesh　formers　and　body
warmers；　those　which　build　up　or　repair　the　bodily　waste；　and　those
which　sustain　the　animal　warmth。　The　slow　fire　within　us　being　necessary
to　life　we　hunger　for　that　only　which　will　replace　the　substance
destroyed　by　the　burning。　〃To　the　child　of　nature　all　hurtful　things
are　repulsive；　all　beautiful　things　attractive；〃　As　to　flesh　formers；　it　had
been　noted　that　all　foods　useful　in　repairing　bodily　waste　contain　the
element　nitrogen。　Alcohol　contains　no　nitrogen；　and　so　could　not　be
classed　among　body　builders。　The　chief　body　warmer　is　sugar。　Alcohol
being　a　product　of　sugar；　people　were　all　misled　for　years　into　thinking
that　it　does　in　some　kind　and　degree　feed　the　system。　The　mistake
was　easy；　since　after　taking　alcohol　there　is　a　temporary　increase　in
vivacity　of　mind　and　manner　and　in　surface　temperature；　and　a　lessened
requirement　for　regular　foods。　These　opinions　had　been　tested　in　the
light　of　truth　and　proved　erroneous。　Axel　Gustafson；　in　his　Foundation
of　Death；　considers　this　subject　at　length。　As　early　as　1840　French
physicians　discovered　that　alcohol　actually　reduced　the　temperature　of
the　body。　Prominent　German　and　English　medical　men　soon　confirmed
the　statement；　and　in　1850；　Dr。　N。　S。　Davis　of　Chicago；　the　founder　of　the
American　Medical　Association；　in　speaking　of　a　number　of　observations
during　the　active　period　of　digestion　after　ordinary　food；　whether　nitrogenous
or　carbonaceous；　the　temperature　of　the　body　is　always　increased；
but　after　taking　alcohol；　in　either　the　form　of　the　fermented　or　the　distilled
drinks；　it　begins　to　fall　within　half　an　hour　and　continues　to
decrease　for　from　two　to　three　hours。　The　extent　and　duration　of　the
reduction　was　in　direct　proportion　to　the　amount　of　alcohol　taken。〃　The
most　prominent　physicians　in　Austria；　Italy；　Switzerland；　Scandinavia
and　Russia　reached　similar　conclusions　shortly　after　this。　In　explorations
in　the　Arctic　regions　where　the　cold　is　intense；　no　alcoholic　drinks
are　permitted。　Dr。　Nansen；　the　great　Norwegian；　attributes　the　fatalities　of
the　Greely　expedition　to　the　use　of　liquor；　and　this　is　the　only
expedition　of　recent　years　which　permitted　the　use　of　alcoholic　drinks。
As　a　matter　of　fact　it　was　long　ago　proved　that　〃Alcohol　does　not　warm
nor　cool　a　person；　but　only　destroys　the　sensation　and　decreases　the
vitality。〃　Superficial　observers；　however；　have　upheld　the　use　of　alcohol
as　a　food；　saying；　〃See　how　fleshy　it　makes　people。〃　Well；　healthy　fat
is　not　always　an　advantage；　but　beer　drinkers'　fat　is　not　the　genuine
article。　Healthy　fat　represents　a　stock　of　body　warming　food　laid　up
for　a　time　of　need　and　is　formed　only　in　health。　The　〃fat〃　usually　exhibited
by　beer　drinkers　is　not　a　fat　at　all；　oil　is　not　its　chief　factor。　It
consists　of　particles　of　partly　digested　flesh　forming　food　which　the
system　required；　but　which　it　was　unable　to　assimilate　owing　to　the　presence
in　the　body　of　the　alcohol　which　the　beer　contained。　This　sort　of　fat
instead　of　indicating　health　points　to　disease。　This　general　teaching　as
to　the　worthlessness　of　alcohol　as　a　food　had　been　set　forth　by　the　leaders
in　medical　profession；　and　accepted　largely　by　the　rank　and　file　of
practitioners　for　about　twenty…five　years。　An　occasional　cry　came　from
the　other　side；　however；　and　late　in　1899　Dr。　W。　O。　Atwater；　professor
in　Wesleyan　University；　announced　that　he　had；　by　an　extended　series
of　experiments；　proved　the　truth　of　the　claims　of　those　experimentors
who　believed　alcohol　to　have　value　as　a　food。　Dr。　Atwater's　reports　were
widely　published　by　the　whiskey　press；　and　a　state　of　some　unrest
amongst　thinking　physicians　followed；　which　had　not　been　wholly　quieted
when　this　committee　began　work。

　　　　　　　　　　IS　IT　A　MEDICINE？

At　the　time　we　began　work；　however；　it　had　been　demonstrated　that
alcohol　is　not　a　medicine。　Many　years　ago　Dr。　Nottinghham；　a　great
English　physician；　said：　〃Alcohol　is　neither　food　nor　physic。〃　Dr。
Nicols；　editor　Boston　Journal　of　Chemistry；　long　ago　wrote；　〃The　banishment
of　alcohol　would　not　deprive　us　of　a　single　one　of　the　indispensable
agents　which　modern　civilization　demands。　In　no　instance　of
disease　in　any　form；　is　it　a　medicine　which　might　not　be　dispensed　with。〃
Dr。　Bunge；　professor