Religious and educational aspects of temperance / by various authors.

Date:
[1874?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Religious and educational aspects of temperance / by various authors. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/172 (page 9)
    now in full practice, and well able to answer for them- selves. One, who has been a general practitioner for half- a-century, writes as follows :—“All discoveries in science or philosophy fall into utter insignificance, compared with a discovery that all disorders and diseases can be safely and successfully treated without the use of alcohol, and also that alcohol is not an aliment. The discovery is of a world-wide importance, and the blessings and benefits arising from it are incalculable.” The same physician points out in the clearest mannei that Dr. Maclean’s dogmatic statement is not considered de fide by the faculty. He says :— “ When a patient is in a sinking state from disease, and when a medical man has thought an alcoholic stimulant absolutely necessary to snatch the patient from death, in this case the great danger is, that such a stimulant will extinguish the small spark of life remaining, and that the patient will he destroyed. It was truly said of the Brunonian system, ‘ that Dr. Brown had made no provision in his system for the recovery of exhaustion arising from the effects of taking alcoholic stimulants.’ ” Lord Bacon observes:—“ If the spirit is assailed by another heat stronger than its own, it is dissipated and destroyed.” What can be more striking than the following words of the same physician as to the use of brandy on the death-bed ?— “ It is not unusual to give wine or brandy at the apparent approach of death : such a practice is a mis- taken kindness. In many instances patients are sent drunk into another world, having their minds beclouded