TEETOTALISM. 159 



vow over temperate and intemperate alike. It goes to science and 

 morals for corroborations. It says that intoxication is poisoning, 

 and that poisons are like themselves in their least doses as in their 

 greatest. There is a mistake here founded upon an etymology. 

 Poison is one thing, and stimulus is another. Poisons destroy the 

 structure, or subvert the functions of the body; stimuli kindle it 

 into life and exhaust it into repose, or even death if their action be 

 excessive. The sleep of the night is nature's recovery from the 

 excitement of the clay. The sleep of death is the spirit's recovery 

 from the lifetime. Our machines are meant to wear out, and sti- 

 muli are the wearers. The organs of the body and mind live by 

 stimuli, which in temperance animate, and in excess destroy them. 

 Light is the stimulus of the eye, but its intensity will extinguish 

 sight; yet is it no poison even when its glare is destructive. We 

 do not " totally abstain" from light, though a part of our brethren 

 have weak eyes, and are ordered into dark rooms. Sound, which in 

 voice and music makes the ear alive, deadens hearing when too 

 loud, and destroys the sense. In short, the sensible world is one 

 great excitement to carry man beyond his first organic water. Joy, 

 too, the wine of the soul, will kill by its abundance and unexpect- 

 edness, and yet it is next of kin to the life that its overmuchness 

 withers. High truth intoxicates those not fit to drink it; causing 

 oftentimes madness from its misapprehension and abuse ; causing 

 still more frequently need of rest, to recover from its dazzling reve- 

 lations. We repeat that man lives by stimuli, any of which, ad- 

 ministered in too great quantity, too often, or too fast, may cause 

 destruction or suspension of life. Yet none of them is, therefore, a 

 poison. Just as little can we so denominate alcohol, from the fact 

 of its producing intoxication or death. For every stimulus carried 

 to excess has the like effects, and, in all the cases, the excess is repre- 

 hensible, but the stimulus natural. Our Saxon word Drunkenness 

 bears no poisonous sense; it is merely the far-gone past participle of 

 Drink made substantive. 



In truth poison differs from stimulus as medicine from food, for 

 poisons in little doses are medicines, and food in its greatest concen- 

 tration is stimulus. The plainest food will kill in too great quan- 

 tity. And then again, medicinal substances, as coffee, tea, &c, 



