EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL. 191 



These various authorities have thus been freely quoted, to 

 show that while there is considerable divergence of opinion in 

 regard to some of the physiological effects of alcohol, they are 

 substantially agreed as to the following points : 



1. Alcohol is not needed in health. 



2. While technically it may be called a food, practically it 

 is a, poison, and its use is dangerous. 



The danger is especially great where there is a latent he- 

 reditary tendency to inebriety or insanity. The danger is also 

 very great when the disease for which alcohol is prescribed 

 is accompanied by melancholy and depression. Many indi- 

 viduals, on finding a drug which exhilarates and banishes the 

 weight of oppression by which they are borne down, are 

 tempted beyond their power of resistance, even though the 

 reaction brings them into a worse condition than the one from 

 which they sought relief. 



The pressure of modern life, and the intensity of the strug- 

 gle for a living, brings about a condition of nervous strain that 

 is fraught with great danger. Every thinking man should 

 see that to use alcoholic drink for the relief of such a condi- 

 tion is like venturing out in a boat above the Falls of Niagara, 

 he knows not when the rushing, mighty power will gain the 

 mastery and dash him to destruction. 



Tobacco. The use of tobacco is needless. Man gets along 

 well enough without it. It is injurious to many. It is an ex- 

 pensive habit. Many a man spends enough on tobacco to send 

 a boy through college. With the excellent cheap printing of 

 to-day, many of the very best books may be bought for the 

 money that is paid for as many cigars. Even for those who 

 can abundantly afford it, it seems extremely selfish, when it is 

 needless, and there is so much good that might be done with 

 the money. Another very selfish feature is, that so many men 

 do not seem to consider the fact that the air is public prop- 



