The history of the tread-mill : containing an account of its origin, construction, operation, effects as it respects the health and morals of the convicts, with their treatment and diet. Also, a general view of the penitentiary system, with alterations necessary to be introduced into our criminal code, for its improvement / by James Hardie, A.M.

  • Hardie, James, 1758-1826.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of the tread-mill : containing an account of its origin, construction, operation, effects as it respects the health and morals of the convicts, with their treatment and diet. Also, a general view of the penitentiary system, with alterations necessary to be introduced into our criminal code, for its improvement / by James Hardie, A.M. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    11/78
    But intemperance is an evil of much greater magnitude than is generally imagined, and spares no rank or condition of persons in the community; being equally destructive to the happiness of its votaries, whether they wallow in af- fluence, walk in the middling spheres of life, or be sunk in indigence and obscurity. Tt fills our prisons with debtors, our Aims-Houses with paupers, our Bridewells, Peni- tentiaries, and State-Prisons, with criminals and our cemeteries, with many tenants, who, it is greatly to be feared, were ill prepared to meet their God, and who in point of number, exceed those, who have fallen victims to all other diseases put together. With respect to our State-Prison and Penitentiary in this City, I fear there is too much truth in the assertion, which has been made by some, that there are more than seven eights of their re- spective inmates, who have brought themselves into their present situation, by the inordinate use of Ardent Spirits. Of all the calamities, which ever befell the United States^ this is, by far the most dreadful. Of war and pestilence it may be said, that they slay their thousands; but of in- temperance, that it destroys its tens of thousands. Ye ministers of the blessed gospel ' ye representatives of the people, whether in our national or state legislatures! ye governors and judges ! ye patriots, philanthropists, phi-, losophers, and sages! arouse from your lethargy and unite your exertions, in removing this indelible degrace of our beloved country, this fell, this ruthless destroyer, and if you should be so fortunate as to succeed in the enter- prise, you will achieve more real glory, than if, by your united wisdom, you |iad planned the destruction of some terribly powerful fleets and armies. Then there will be a reformation of morals, which will render our Peniten- tiary system as complete as the friends of humanity could reasonably expect, in this state of imperfection, and many hundreds of those, who are now the pests of society, would find themselves much more happy, in being able, by their honest industry, to prqvide for themselves. It is now time, that I should draw this preface^ which is considerably longer than I at first intended, to a close. But before I conclude, it is proper I should ac« knowledge; that/or some of the useful information contain-