stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities." Strange that men should wrest this into an injunction against water drinking, and in favor of wine drinking, in gene. ral! Do they not see that Timothy-this pattern of men, fearing God from his youth up- was by habit a water drinker? that he was to use wine, not as a luxury, not to please his palate, but as a medicine-for his stomach's sake, and his often infirmities? and that, even then and thus, it was only "a little wine" that he was to use? How can we torture this passage into a permission, far less a recommendation, to use wine for the palate's sake, without infirmity of health, and by the pint or quart?

The power of alcohol, as a medicine, is limited to those cases in which a morbid necessity exists for its use. In all other circumstances, it cannot do good, and not only may, but must do more or less harm, when taken in any considerable quantity, or for a long endurance. Even in the suitable cases, the dose-ordinarily small -must be carefully regulated, and the effects watched, lest overaction and injury ensue.

III. The power of alcohol as food. stated: properly speaking, none at all.

This is easily

It has no power to repair waste of tissue. And though it has power-very considerable power- -to supply fuel for the maintenance of temperature, yet, when ordinary food is taken in anything like sufficient quantity, alcohol as a combustible is both unnecessary and injurious.

It is only when there is no food, or food insufficient in quantity or quality, that alcohol is of use as a substi

tute for it; and then only as a means for maintaining temperature. It gives no strength, and repairs no waste; and, therefore, even as a partial substitute for food, it is not suitable for continued use, but only for the temporary demands of an emergency.

The power as ordinary food, then, is as nothing; while its power as a substitute for food is limited, both as to extent and time.

IV. The power of alcohol as a condiment; or auxiliary to the healthy digestion of food. This, too, will be most truly represented by a negative quantity.

It may be a help to weak or imperfect digestion, we have seen; but it by no means follows that its action will be the same on a stomach that is sound and healthy. On the contrary, all the general principles we have laid down go to prove the opposite.

Every one must at once admit that it has no analogy whatever to our best and most common condiment, salt. And suppose that, like mustard, pepper, or other spice, it were to act as a simple stimulant-what then? The stomach, at present healthy, and consequently sufficient in its working, is excited to an increase of its digestive power; more food is converted into tissue-repairing matter than the system actually requires; the equipoise of health is upset, and the inevitable consequence is disease

manifesting itself more or less plainly in plethora, biliousness, fever, or other disorder. Let us profit by the quaint but pregnant epitaph on the tombstone of the poor man who would dabble in physic: "I was well, but would be better, and here I lie."

Alcohol is not in reality a condiment; and when used as such in health, has a power only for evil. That is very appreciable as regards its primary effect on the stomach; and is still more marked with reference to its general effect, after its invariable and speedy absorption into the system

V. The power of alcohol as a luxury.-In one sense, this is undeniably great; else why the vast consumption of it as such?

The first effect is to stimulate the stomach, as we have seen; and by exciting the heart, too, to quicken the general circulation. This gives a glow to the system, and is pleasant to the animal sense.

Absorbed, as it quickly is, it acts on the brain; and the functions of this organ undergo exaltation. The intellect has a quicker and brighter movement; memory is put upon its mettle; and the play of fancy becomes more free. This, like the former feeling, is agreeable to one's-self, and also favorable to social enjoyment; the "pleasures of the table" are enhanced. But such a state is not favorable for intellectual work, inasmuch as, even with a comparatively moderate dose, the tendency is very decidedly to the diminution of the power of voluntary control, to the perversion of intellectual perception, to the confounding of judgment or reason, to the abasing of all moral principle, and to the arousing of animal passion and desire. The tendency, I repeat, is always in this direction; and, therefore, it becomes at once apparent that such a luxury must always be indulged with no little risk to the moral and intellectual

health of the indulger; while the considerations in which we have already been engaged, make it abundantly plain that the danger to his physical estate is at least as certain.

And, besides, this excitement is not got for nothing: it is purchased; and part of the price paid is reaction. There is first the "ploy," and then the "reckoning' "Mine host," moreover, proves a most exacting and relentless creditor; not one item of his claim in full will he forego; sooner or later the last farthing must be paid up. The stimulant effect, having in due time passed away, is succeeded by a sedative one; and the heart that had just been enjoying alcoholic gladness, finds alcoholic sadness sternly awaiting it, with all the certainty of sequence between cause and effect. For the mercury of the animal pneumometer, when raised by the unnatural heat of spirit of wine, does not, on the removal of this, fall back to the old level from which it rose, but sinks lower; and the more sudden and great the rising, the greater and more permanent is the subsidence. So that were the luxurious bent on avoiding the marring of their pleasure, they behoved to take their alcoholic luxury in small quantities, and frequently repeated-every hour or so as physicians give their alcoholic medicine in treating disease. That would be the only intelligible plan, at least, of endeavoring to grasp the flower without the thorn; and, after all, it would fail- the law of tolerance proving fatal to it. What succeeds in producing and maintaining a certain effect in the case of disease, is by reason of its success then all the more certain to fail when applied to the condition of health.

Taken in large quantities, in what is ordinarily called

excess, these evils of alcohol are all aggravated. Reaction is great. The man that in his cups was the bravest and the best of fellows, the happiest and heartiest of good companions, is the most miserable wretch alive next day; and by this state of absolute "horror," is driven to seek a mercurial elevation once more, by a fresh purchase of the same article- on each occasion at a higher and higher price. By a depraved and ruinous instinct, the man looks for the antidote in renewal of the poison. "When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."

This luxurious attainment of pleasure is not like that which comes by food to the hungry, rest to the weary, or draughts of cold water to the thirsty; a thing to be had always on the same terms day by day, and never palling by repetition. What both gratified and satisfied to-day, may do neither, and certainly will not do both, six months or a year hence. The brain gets hardened, we have seen - actually hardened-by alcoholic saturation; and, in like manner, though not so literally, the constant use of alcoholics, even in moderate quantity, tends to harden the system to their effects; so that the longer they are used, there is a growing necessity for a greater amount in almost each successive dose, in order to obtain the desired result- until the whole system becomes so debilitated and depraved, that but a small quantity suffices to produce inebriation. Such is the tendency in all cases; and in the great majority of cases in all, indeed, when there is not the restraint of high moral principle and habitual self-command it is realized.

And yet again: If once habituated. to this indulgence, even to a moderate extent, daily, it becomes