PERILS. — INTEMPERANCE. 125 



modern disease, its symptoms surprisingly more fre- 

 quent now than in the last century, and is an Ameri- 

 can disease, in this, that it is very much more common 

 here than in any other part of the civilized world." 



When we consider that the increased activity of mod- 

 ern civilization is attended by nmv and increasing ner- 

 vous disorders, that the belt of prevalent nervous diseases 

 coincides exactly with that of the Avorld's greatest activ- 

 ity, and further, that in this belt, where the activity is 

 by far the most intense, nervous affections are by far 

 the most common, it is evident that the intensity of mod- 

 ern life has already worked, and continues to work, im- 

 portant changes in men's nervous organization. The 

 American people are rapidly becoming the most nervous, 

 the most highly organized, in the world, if, indeed, they 

 are not alreadj^ such. And the causes, climatic and other, 

 which have produced this result, continue operative. 



Be it observed now that nervous peoj^le are exposed to 

 a double danger from intoxicating liquors. In the first 

 place, they are more likely than others to desire stimu- 

 lants. Says Dr. Beard : ' ' When the nervous system 

 loses, through any cause, much of its nervous force, so 

 that it cannot stand upright with ease and comfort, it 

 leans on the nearest and most convenient artificial sup- 

 port that is capable of temporarily propping up the en- 

 feebled frame. Anything that gives ease, sedation, 

 oblivion, such as chloral, chloroform, opium or alcohol, 

 may be resorted to at first as an incident, and finally as 

 a habit. Such is the philosophy of opium and alcohol 

 inebriety. Not only for the relief of pain, but for the 

 relief of exhaustion, deeper and more distressing than 

 pain, do both men and women resort to the drug shop. 

 I count this one of the great causes of the recent increase 

 of opiumi and alcohol inebriety among women." 



As a nation grows more nervous, its use of intoxicating 



1 There were imported into the United States in 1869. 90,997 pounds of 

 opium; in 1874, 170,706 pounds; in 1877, 230,102 pounds; during the fiscal 

 year ending in 1880, 553,451 pounds; an increase of more than six-fold in 

 eleven years. 



