What Shall ice Brink ? 



267 



ours, where every department of the 

 system is taxed severely, wines may 

 be used with very beneficial results, if 

 not indulged in to excess. In mias- 

 matic districts, subject to febrile dis- 

 eases, the use of wine is almost a neces- 

 sit3N the alcohol arousing the energy, 

 thus increasing the force of circulation, 

 producing heat ; the acids destroying 

 the miasmatic cryptogams, the spores 

 of which are inhaled with the atmos- 

 phere, enter into the blood, feed upon 

 and grow by using up the vitalized 

 principle, thus producing fever, chills, 

 etc. Wine, when used medicinally, or 

 as a beverage, should be positively pure; 

 otherwise it will disagree with the 

 stomach, and prove detrimental, rather 

 than useful. Delaware wine, when in 

 good condition, is a fine Avine, and, as 

 it contains very little acid, it is to be 

 preferred w^henever the stomach is del- 

 icate, or has a tendency to dyspeptic 

 acidity. Good Catawba or Herbemont 

 are the most generous of our white 

 wines, particularly adapted to the pur- 

 pose of resuscitating debilitated con- 

 stitutions, and sustaining the sinking 

 energies of the system in old age. 

 Clinton, Norton's Virginia, and that 



class of wines, so nearly resembling 

 Port wine, can be used in cases of great 

 debility, especially when attended with 

 a loose state of the bowels, unaccom- 

 panied with inflammation. In such 

 cases they act as a powerful tonic, as 

 well as a stimulant, giving increased 

 activity to all the functions, especially 

 digestion. Concord, like Claret, is 

 much less heating, and is useful on ac- 

 count of its aperient and diuretic qual- 

 ities. Champagne can be used in the 

 sinking stage of low fevers, also useful 

 in the debilitated condition of the aged. 

 The constant overstrain of the Ameri- 

 can people upon the brain and nerve 

 force from incessant application to 

 business, the hurried manner of eating, 

 not properly masticating and mixing 

 the saliva with the food, irregularity of 

 habits, brings them more or less under 

 the influences ot one or more of the 

 diseases for which the use of pure wines 

 is rendered necessary. In their ab- 

 sence, resort is had to distilled liquors, 

 ale, beer, etc., all of which from being 

 more or less drugged — poisoned — are 

 directly injurious and dangerous in 

 their use. 



Westfield, N. Y., July, 1869. 



►4- 



From ' 'Three Seasons in Eiu-opean Vineyards," by Wm. J. Flagg. 



WHAT SHALL WE DRINK ? 



The American people is in want of a 

 drink. A nation has transplanted it- 

 self, biit not its vines, from one hemi- 

 sphere to another, and is thirsty. It is 

 as important what we drink should be 

 adapted to our climate, our tempera- 



ment and institutions, as it is we should 

 hold correct opinions on this, that, and 

 the other subject. In fine the liquor to 

 mix daily in our blood, to act on our 

 nerves, nourish our tissues, and qualify 

 the vitality of every part of us, will con- 



