and so on through nearly the whole catalogue of human maladies. It diseases the whole constitution, taints every fluid, poisons every solid, and it depends upon mere casualties what particular form the general disease may assume.

The effect of alcohol on particular organs of the human body is very striking. Says Dr. Sewall:— "The inflammation of the brain is sometimes so acute from intemperance, that it is marked by furious delirium, and terminates fatally in the course of a few days, and sometimes a few hours."

Apply it to an open wound, or bring it in contact with an exposed nerve, and it burns like fire. Let it be applied a million times to as many fresh wounds, or exposed nerves, and every application will bring painful evidence of the correctness of this statement. Let those who doubt try the experiment. It burns the mouth, and hence the practice of taking water with grog, and water after grog, to quench the fire it always kindles. Alcohol always excites the brain and the nerves. As soon can a man 66 carry coals of fire in his bosom, and not be burned," as bring alcohol in contact with the brain or nerves without powerfully exciting them.

About one-seventh part of the blood is sent to the head, which is several hundred per cent. more, in proportion to its size, than is carried to any other portion of the system. This is the testimony of all physiologists. Since, then, the irritating effect of alcohol on the brain-that organ so closely connected with the mind-and since so much greater a proportion of blood is sent to the head than to any

other part of the system, the effects of alcohol upon the mind of man must be most tremendous, either for good or evil. The intellectual and moral constitute the chief dignity of man. He was never made merely to eat, sleep, breathe, labor, and die. God had higher aims in his creation. He was created mainly to think and feel—to adore God and study his works. If, therefore, the effect of alcohol is bad, it is bad in the very highest possible degree, and bad upon the very essence, and soul, and centre of man, because it storms the very citadel of our nature. Now by the great amount of blood sent to the head, and by the effects of alcohol upon the nervous system in general, and the brain in particular, and especially upon the internal nervous tract, does it irritate and stimulate the brain, and thereby exert its baneful influence upon man's immortal part.

Alcohol passes unchanged into the blood and the brain, and different organs, producing there the same injurious effect as it does when applied externally.

The following fact illustrates the remark just made. The occurrence took place in England, and is attested by unquestionable authority. A man was taken up dead in the streets of London, soon after having drank a quart of gin on a wager. He was carried to the Westminster Hospital, and there dissected. "In the ventricles of the brain was found a considerable quantity of limpid fluid, distinctly impregnated with gin, both to the sense of smell and taste, and even to the test of inflammability."

The injurious effects of intoxicating drinks upon the human stomach, has called forth the research of some of the ablest physicians, among whom may be named Dr. Sewall. With drawings of the drunkard's stomach, he has ably and accurately delineated the principal morbid changes produced upon that organ by intemperance.

By post-mortem examinations, the effects of alcohol have been made apparent upon this delicate organ. Dr. Nott has furnished a striking case of these effects while in progress. It is as follows:

"A young Canadian, St. Martin by name, was wounded by a cannon ball, which in its passage opened an orifice in his stomach, which, though the wound healed, was never closed. Hence it became necessary, in order to prevent the escape of food, to cover that orifice by a pad.

“Doctor Beaumont, the army surgeon, who effected the cure, being impressed with a sense of the importance of the opportunity thus furnished for investigating the process of digestion, received the young man into his family, and instituted a series of experiments, which were continued two or three years.

"During these experiments, he found that whenever St. Martin drank fermented liquor the mucous membrane of the stomach was covered with inflammatory and ulcerous patches, the secretions were vitiated, and the gastric juice diminished in quantity, and of an unnatural viscidity, and yet he described himself as perfectly well, and complained of nothing.

"Two days subsequent to this, the inner membrane of the stomach was unusually morbid, the inflammatory appearance more extensive, the spots more livid than usual; from the surface of some of them exuded small drops of grumous blood; the ulcerous patches were larger and more numerous; the mucous covering thicker than usual, and the gastric secretions much more vitiated. The gastric fluids extracted were mixed with a large proportion of thick ropy mucus, and a considerable mucopurulent discharge, slightly tinged with blood, resembling discharges from the bowels in some cases of dysentery. Notwithstanding this diseased appearance of the stomach, no very essential aberration of its functions was manifested. St. Martin complained of no symptoms indicating any general derangement of the system, except an uneasy sensation and tenderness at the pit of the stomach, and some vertigo, with dimness and yellowness of vision on stooping down and rising up again. Doctor Beaumont further observed, that the free use of ardent spirits, wine, beer, or any other intoxicating liquor, when continued for some days, has invariably produced these changes."

There is another consideration of great interest connected with this subject-it is the transmission of organism from parent to child. Alcohol diseases and poisons the whole organization. And it is well known that organization, good or bad, is transmissible.

It is a well settled fact, that not only the physical and mental developments of parents descend to their

children, but also their particular forms of manifestation. Hence, if the appetite of the father solicit or reject oysters, ardent spirit, butter, or any other article, that of the son will be very likely to have the same manifestation. The following facts, stated by a distinguished writer on physiology, corroborate the the above position. The father of Dr. Kimball of Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., could never endure the taste or smell of butter; and his son, though a merchant, will never keep butter in his store, solely from the great aversion he has for the article.

If the acquisitiveness of the parent fasten upon landed property, that of his descendants will be likely to fasten upon the same. The town records of Newbury, Mass., near two centuries ago, required the selectmen "to see that Mr. L. gets no more land than what belongs to him." The disposition to acquire land, which this caution implies, is exhibited in his descendants to the present day. Not only is the land which he selected in 1640, in Newbury, still owned by his descendants of the same name, but they have been eager to acquire land, land especially, in distinction from other property, and they have acquired immensely large tracts.

Now alcohol stimulates the animal passions of the parent, and weakens his moral and intellectual nature, and transmits the same characteristics to his children. Hence the children of drunkards are not apt to be so intellectual or moral as those of the temperate. Nor is it necessary that the father should be a drunkard, only, that he should love and long after the "good creature."