1S2 



KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[AcG. 11, 1882, 



strength, brute physical power, aiul mere animal energy 

 have liecome less anil less demanded as we have, by tlie aid 

 of physical science, imprisoned the physical forces of nature 

 in our steam boilers, liatteries, itc, and have made them 

 our slaves in lieu of human prisoners of war. The coarse 

 muscular, raving, yelling, fighting human animal that 

 formerly led tlie war dance, tlie hunt, and the battle, is no 

 longer the fitteit for survival, but is, on the contrary, daily 

 Itecoming more and more out of place. His prize light. s, 

 his dog-fights, his cockpits, and bull-baiting are practically 

 abolishetl, his fox-hunting and bird-shooting are only 

 carried on at great expense by a wealthy residuum, and by 

 damaging interference with civilised agriculture. The un- 

 fitness of the remaining representatives of the priman-al 

 savage is manifest, and their survival is purely prejudicial 

 to the present interests and future progress of the race. 



Such being the case, we now require some means of 

 eliminating these coarser, more brutal or purely animal 

 specimens of humanity, in order that there may be more 

 room for the survival and multiplication of the more 

 intellectual, more refined, and altogether distinctively 

 human specimens. It is desirable that this should be 

 eflecte<l by some natural or spontaneous proceeding of self- 

 extinction, performed by the animal specimens themselves. 

 If this self-immolation can be a process that is enjoyable in 

 their ow n estimation, all the objections to it that might 

 otherwise be suggested by our feelings of humanity are 

 removed. 



Now, thc-sc conditions are exactly fulfilled by the 

 alcoholic drinks of the present day when used for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining intoxication. The old customs that 

 rendered heavy drinking a social duty have passed away, 

 their only remaining traces being the few exceptional cases 

 of hereditary dipsomania still to be found hero and there 

 among men and woman of delicate fibre and sensitive 

 organisation. 



With these exceptions, the drunkards of our time are 

 those whose constitutions are so coarse, so gross and brutal, 

 that the excitement of alcoholic stimulation is to them a 

 delicious sensual delirium, a wild saturnalia of animal 

 exaltation, which they enjoy so heartily that every new- 

 raving outbreak only whets their appetite for a repetition. 

 While soWr they actually arrange and prepare for a forth- 

 coming holiday l»ooze ; work and save money for the 

 avowed purpose of purcha-sing the drink and its consequent 

 ecstasies, which constitute the cliief delights of their 

 existence. When a professional criminal has " served his 

 time," and is aVx)ut to be released from prison, his faithful 

 friends club together to supply him with the consolation of 

 an uninterrupted course of intoxication ; the longer its 

 duration the greater his happiness and the deeper his 

 oblications of gratitude to the contributing pal.s. 



We know that such indulgence has swept away the Red 

 Indian savage from the Ameritan continent, and prepared 

 it for a higher civilisation, as the mammoth and grisly 

 bear have made way for the sheep and oxen ; and this 

 lieneficent agent, if allowed to do it? natural work, will 

 similarly remove the savage elements that still remain as 

 impediments to ihe onw^ard progress of the more crowded 

 communitifsi of the old world. If those who love alcoholic 

 drinks for the sake of the ex'-itement they induce are only 

 supplied with cheap and abunlunt happiness, our eriiTiinal 

 and pauper popiil.ition will be reduced to a minimum. 



It is commonly supposed thatbecause nearly all criminals 

 are drunk.ards, therefore drunk'.-i nnm is the chief cause of 

 crime. This i.s a confusion of cause with effect Crime 

 and drunkennMS go together because they are concurrent 

 effects of the same organisation. Alcoholic stimulation 

 merely removes prudence and brings out true character 



without restraint or disguise. The brute who boats his 

 wife when drunk would do so wiiou sober if he dared and 

 could ; but what we call the sober state is with him a con- 

 dition of cowardly depression and feebleness due to the re- 

 action of intoxication. If a number of quarrelsome men 

 assemble and drink together, they finish with fighting. If 

 a similar number of kindly-disposed men drink togetlier, 

 they overflow with generosity, profuse friendliness, and 

 finally become absurdly affectionate. The citizen who 

 would have subscribed but one guinea to a charity before- 

 dinner will give his name for five after the " toast of the 

 evening." 



My general conclusion is that all human beings (excepting 

 the few dipsomaniacs above-named), who are tit to survive- 

 as members of a civilised community, will spontaneously 

 avoid intemperance, provided no artificial pressure of absurd 

 drinking customs is applied to them, while those who are- 

 incapable of the general self-restraint dtmanded by ad- 

 vancing civilisation, and cannot share its moral and 

 intellectual refinements, are pro^•ided by alcoholic beverages, 

 ■tt'ith the means of " happy despatch," will be gradually 

 sifted out by natural alcoholic selection, provided nO' 

 legislative violence interfere with their desire for " a short 

 life and a merry one." 



[In these remarks, Mr. Williams omits to notice yet 

 another advantage of drunkenness : besides killing the 

 drunkard himself it tends to prevent the increase of 

 his kind. Unfortunately, the "happy despatch" of the 

 drunkard involves too often much misery to many who an- 

 not drunkards. — Ed.] 



SKfbi'cUje!. 



MODERN DRESS.* 



V CAPITAL little book, of which we should like to 

 quote nearly the whole if space permitted, and it 

 were (|uite fair. Dr. Pcarse considers clothing in its 

 relation to animal heat, cleanliness, circulation, respiration, 

 and muscular development ; he also touches on the methods 

 by which infection may be conveyed by means of clothing. 

 The following remarks on the question of braces versus 

 belts will be interesting to many correspondents who have 

 written about them, and give n good idea of our author's 

 style. "Tin use of braces in weakly men makes tlieia 

 stoop. They naturally press upon the chest, and men 

 would find their chests much freer -without them. To 

 those who are not accustomed to wear braces they are not 

 only uncomfortable but cause great physical uneasiness. 

 The objections to belts are of a different character. 

 I!y being tight round the abdomen, they interfere with the 

 natural process of respiration " [also with the process of 

 circulation], " and if any special exertion hits to be gone 

 through they are doubly injurious. By preventing the 

 enlargement of the abdomen, which occurs naturally at 

 every inspiration, and more particularly when straining, 

 they press injuriously the contents of the alxlomen against 

 its walls. This increased pressure during active exertion 

 on jiarts which are not protected by the Iwlt frequently 

 causes rupture. No one would think of putting a tight 

 band round a horse if he wanted it to run a race, and why 

 should it bo put round the human body under similar cir- 



• " Modem Dpobr ; and Clothing in its Relation to- Health and 

 Diseaae." By T. l''rcdcrick Poaree, M.B. (Londcm ; Wyraan & 

 Sons.) 



