Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 216

4. With what sins is drunkenness cla.s.sed?

"Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, _drunkenness_, revelings, and such like." Gal. 5:19-21.

5. What are common accompaniments of intemperance?

"Who hath _woe_? who hath _sorrow_? who hath _contentions_? who hath _babbling_? who hath _wounds_ without cause? who hath _redness of eyes_?

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine." Prov.

23:29, 30.

6. How do intoxicants serve one in the end?

"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. _At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder._" Verses 31, 32.

NOTES.-The effects of alcoholic liquors are thus described in the American Prohibition Year Book for 1912, pages 26, 27:-

"_On the Individual._ Alcoholic liquors, whether fermented, brewed, or distilled, are poisonous, increasing greatly the liability to fatal termination of diseases, weakening and deranging the intellect, polluting the affections, hardening the heart, and corrupting the morals, 'bequeathing to posterity' a degeneration of physical and moral character.

"_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 ch.o.r.ea, 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._

"Tobacco is ruinous in our schools and colleges, dwarfing body and mind."-_Dr. Willard Parker._

"I shall not hesitate to p.r.o.nounce tobacco in young men to be evil, and only evil, physically, mentally, and morally."-_Edward Hitchc.o.c.k, of Amherst College._

"The use of intoxicating liquor by men, and the use of cigarettes by boys, is creating a race of feeble-minded, unhealthy, and valueless citizens."-_John Wanamaker._

"We might as well go to the insane asylum for our men as to employ cigarette smokers."-_The late E. H. Harriman, railroad magnate._

"Cigarettes are ruining our children, endangering their lives, dwarfing their intellects, and making them criminals, fast. The boys who use them seem to lose all sense of right, decency, and righteousness."-_Judge Crane, of New York City._

"Cigarette smoking in the case of boys partly paralyzes the nerve cells at the base of the brain, and this interferes with the breathing and heart action. The end organs of the motor nerves lose their excitability, next the trunks of the nerves, and then the spinal cord.... The power of fine coordination is decidedly lost."-_Prof. Sims Woodhead, of Cambridge University._

"The use of cigarettes affects the nervous system, weakens the will-power, and destroys the ability of the boy to resist temptation; and because of this he easily falls a victim of those habits which not only destroy the mind and soul, but irresistibly lead him into a violation of the laws of the state."-_George Torrance, superintendent Illinois State Reformatory._

Tobacco using is demoralizing in its general effects, and tends to create an appet.i.te for strong drink. It originated with the natives of North America, the Indians. In November, 1492, when Columbus discovered the island of Cuba, he sent two sailors to explore it, who, when they returned, reported, among many other strange and curious discoveries, that the natives carried with them lighted firebrands, and puffed smoke from their mouths and noses, which they supposed to be the way the savages had of perfuming themselves. They afterward declared that they "saw the naked savages twist large leaves together, and smoke like devils."

Originating with the wild barbarians of America, the smoking habit, after some years, was introduced into Europe, and was rapidly adopted, not only by the lower cla.s.ses, but by those in high authority, even princes and n.o.bles partic.i.p.ating in the new intoxication. It has since become well-nigh universal.

9. Where does intemperance often begin?

Intemperance often begins in the home. Many who would not think of placing on their tables wine or liquor of any kind will load them with food that creates a thirst for strong drink,-with strong tea and coffee, injurious condiments, rich pastry, highly seasoned foods, and the like.

10. What will drunkards, with other workers of iniquity, never inherit?

"Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, ... nor thieves, nor covetous, nor _drunkards_, ... shall inherit _the kingdom of G.o.d_." 1 Cor. 6:9, 10.

The World's Curse

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

The Gin-Mill. "All its history is written in tears and blood."-_Robert J.

Burdette._

1. What admonition against intemperance did Christ give that is especially applicable at the present time?

"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with _surfeiting_, and _drunkenness_, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." Luke 21:34.

2. What did He say would be the condition of the world just before His second coming?

"As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.... They were _eating_ and _drinking_, marrying and giving in marriage." Matt. 24:37, 38.

3. How has the consumption of liquor increased in gallons in the United States since 1840:-

Spirits Wines Liquors Total Per Capita 1840 43,060,884 4,873,096 23,310,843 71,244,823 4.17 1850 51,833,473 6,316,393 36,563,009 94,712,875 4.08 1860 89,968,651 10,933,981 101,346,669 202,249,301 6.43 1870 79,895,708 12,225,067 204,756,156 296,876,931 7.70 1880 63,526,694 28,098,179 414,220,165 505,845,038 10.08 1890 87,829,623 28,945,993 855,929,559 972,705,175 15.53 1900 97,356,864 29,988,467 1,222,387,104 1,349,732,435 17.76 1910 133,538,864 60,548,078 1,851,340,256 2,045,427,018 21.86 1911 138,585,989 62,859,232 1,966,911,744 2,169,356,695 22.79

The total consumption of alcoholic liquors in the United States for forty-two years (1870-1911) was 43,611,000,564 gallons.

The drink bill of the United States for 1911 was estimated at $1,833,653,425, or nearly twice the national debt.

The number of liquor dealers in the United States in 1910 was 255,765, or over a quarter of a million.