“On the Family. A disturber and destroyer of its peace, prosperity, and happiness, and thus removing the sure foundation for good government, national prosperity and welfare.
“On the Community. Producing demoralization, vice, and wickedness, counteracting the efficacy of religious efforts and of all means for the intellectual elevation, moral purity, social happiness, and eternal good of mankind.
“On the State. Promoting crime and pauperism, paralyzing thrift and industry, corrupting politics, legislation, and the execution of laws.”
Alcohol tends to destroy the higher forms of cells, those directly concerned with the vital processes, particularly the delicate brain-cells, and to replace them with useless and harmful connective tissue, or what is commonly known as scar tissue. Reliable statistics demonstrate that the total abstainer has an advantage of at least twenty-one per cent over the moderate drinker.
“The offspring of alcoholics show impaired vitality of the most deep-seated character, such as deformities, neuroses, which may take the severe forms of chorea, infantile convulsions, epilepsy, or idiocy.”—“Alcohol,” page 44.
7. To what extent is intemperance the cause of crime?
A lord chief justice of England declared, “If sifted, nine tenths of the crime of England and Wales could be traced to drink.”—“Alcohol.”
8. What may be said of the use of tobacco?
Being a rank poison, its use is highly injurious.
Notes.—“Tobacco is the most subtle poison known to chemists, except the deadly prussic acid.”—M. Orfila, president Medical Academy, Paris.