THE common use of Spirituous liquors distilled from molasses, grain, fruit, &c. is a matter that calls for the particular attention of every lover of mankind.

Several physicians of note, ^* have given it as their sentiments, that those distilled spi­rits when taken inwardly, even tho' mixed with water, destroy the human frame; being burning spirits, the use of which bring on many fatal diseases, such as fevers, jaundice, dropsies, consumptions, and whereby multi­tudes are daily destroyed. That they parch up and contract the stomach to half its na­tural size, like burnt leather, and rot the entrails, as is evident, not only by opening the bodies of those persons who are killed by drinking them; but also by what Doctor Hoffman says, was observed of the effects which the caustic fiery remaining wash of the distillers, has on the guts of those hogs which in some places are fed by it, which are thereby so tendered, that puddings can­not be made in them: Wherefore all people, who have any regard to their health and lives, [Page 2]ought to tremble at the cravings for such poisonous liquors, which shorten and destroy the lives of such multitudes of people. It is farther observable, that the free use of those Spirits, deprave the morals of those who addict themselves thereto; the feelings of their minds are gradually benumbed; an insensibility to the healing influences of grace prevails, and many become prophane and re­gardless of their duty to God and Man.

Doctor Cheyne in his Essay of health and long life, says, "All people, who have any regard to their health and lives, ought to tremble at the first cravings for such poisonous liquors. The maladies begot by them bring forth necessity upon necessity of drams and gills; till at last, a kind dropsy, nervous convulsion, flux, if not a fever, or phrensy sets the poor soul free. It has often raised in me, says the Doctor, the most me­lancholly reflections, to see the virtuous and sensible, bound in such chains and fetters, as nothing less than omnipotent grace or the unrelenting grave could release them from."

It is pretended, that drams comfort, warm, and defend from the severity of wea­ther, to which men are sometimes exposed; without which they say, they should perish with cold; which is probably, in a great measure, true of those who are habituated to drink them; the blood of such being thereby so much improverished, that it is [Page 3]well known many of the drinkers of drams are cold and lifeless in the midst of summer, without frequent repetitions; this is what some of them have owned. But on the other hand, how much more able are sober persons to endure cold and hardships; their vital heat not being extinguished by intem­perance, does by its kindly genial warmth, more effectually secure them from the in­clemency of the weather, than the false flash of a dram. Besides, it is well known, that men did not perish in the coldest countries for want of drams formerly, when they were not to be had, of the undoubted truth of this, Captain Ellis gives a full proof in the account of his voyage to Hudson's bay, page 199: Where he observes, "That the natives of the very cold coast of that Bay, to whom the French are kinder than to sell distilled spirituous liquors, are tall, hardy, robust and active; whereas those of them that are supplied with drams from the Eng­lish, are a meagre, dwarfish, indolent people, hardly equal to the feverity of the country and subject to many disorders. And as to the pernicious effects of spirituous liquors in very hot climates, (as on the coast of Guinea) it is observed, that the French and Portuguese, who do not indulge in distilled spirits, are healthy compared with the English; who, drinking freely of spirits, &c. die fast."

The unhappy dram-drinkers are so abso­lutely bound in slavery to these infernal spi­rits, [Page 4]that they seem to have lost the power of delivering themselves from this worst of bondage. How much then is it the bounden duty of those, who have it in their power to withhold this destructive man-bane, either as parents, masters, or rulers to the people committed to their trust. This is a case so calamitous to mankind, that to have a tho­rough sense of it, and yet not to remonstrate, nor earnestly caution against it, is certainly as criminal as it is unfriendly not to warn a blind person of a dangerous precipice or pit. Yet, alas how unconcerned are the greatest part of mankind at this enormous ruin of multitudes! In trials for life, what diligence is used to find the occasion of the loss of one subject. What care will not a faithful Physician bestow for the preservation of one life. How did the wise Romans honour him, who saved the life of one Roman citi­zen. But in the present case it is not one, nor one hundred, nor one thousand, but probably no less than a million that perish yearly.

The mistaken use and grievous abuse of rum and other distilled spirits, in no case appears more palpably than at the time of harvest, a business which the people under the Mosaic dispensation were enjoined to carry on with humiliation and thanksgiving; but which amongst us, through the free use of spirituous liquors, is made an occasion of a greater abuse of the creatures and disho­nour [Page 5]of the Creator; this arises in many, from a mistaken persuasion that hard labour, particularly that of the harvest field, cannot be carried on without using a quantity of rum or other distilled spirits. In support of this opinion, we are frequently told of the many people who have died at those times through the extream heat and fatigue, and it is supposed that many more would die, if a plentiful use of spirituous liquors was not allowed; but this is a mistaken notion, it being much more likely that the free use of rum occasioned the death of those people, the quantity they had swallowed down, sending a great flow of spirits into the head in pro­portion to the strength of their body, caused them to strain their strength beyond what nature could bear; and in general the re­peated large quantities of spirit commonly drank during the whole time of harvest, keeps up the blood in so continual a ferment and fever, that people cannot have a pro­per restorative sleep; their constitutions are thereby enervated, their lives shortened and an unfitness for religious impressions gene­rally prevails.

These weighty considerations have induced some well minded people to endeavour to induce, by their examples, their friends and neighbours into a contrary practice; and un­der these attempts experience has made it manifest that very little or no strong liquor is necessary at those times; indeed they have [Page 6]been convinced that the harvest, and other laborious work, can be very well managed without making use of any spirituous liquors at all. If such labour was carried on with steadiness and proper moderation, there would certainly be no need of a recruit of strength being sought for by that means; more frequent intervals of rest, with a little food oftener allowed the reapers, and small drinks, such as molasses and water, either alone or made more agreeable with a little cider, small beer, or even milk and water would fully enable them to perform their work to their employer's satisfaction and their own advantage, and the overplus wages they would receive to the value of the spirits usually given them, might be sufficient to purchase bread for their families. Several persons who from a persuasion that the com­mon method of giving spirituous liquors to labourers was exceeding hurtful, have made it a condition with those they have employ­ed, not to use any spirituous liquors in their fields; these have had their work performed to good satisfaction and without any damage ensuing to their labourers. Nay, where they have remained any considerable time with such employers, they have generally acknowledged themselves sensible of the be­nefit arising from having thus totally refrain­ed the use of those liquors.

Should this practice take place, it would prove a great blessing, particularly to the la­bouring [Page 7]people, one half of whom (a phy­sician of this country hath given as his sen­timent) die sooner than they otherwise would do, solely by the use of spirituous liquors. Besides that, it would discourage the distil­lation of rye and other grain; a practice which is not only a great hurt to the poor in raising the price of bread, but must also be very offensive to God the great and good father of the family of mankind, that people should, in their earthly and corrupt wisdom, pervert their Maker's benevolent intention, in converting the grain he hath given to us as the staff of life, unto a fiery spirit, so de­structive of the human frame and attended with the other dreadful consequences alrea­dy mentioned. Here it may be noted, that any quantity of good molasses will by distil­lation, yield more than the same quantity of proof spirit. And that a considerable quan­tity of molasses if taken with bread at one time, as the Indians will sometimes do, will not intoxicate, the spirituous parts in the molasses being properly united, by our good and wise creator, with the earthy and balsa­mick parts, so as to make it quite friendly to our nature; but when by distillation the spirituous parts are separated from the other parts, that measure of spirits proceeding from the same quantity of molasses, becomes a fiery liquid, destructive of the human frame. Doctor Buchan in his Domestic Medicine, or Family Physician, a book which has gain­ed [Page 8]so much esteem as to be twice published in this city, at page 71 of the English Edi­tion says, ‘many imagine that hard labour could not be supported without drinking strong liquors. This, tho' a common is a very erroneous notion, men who never tasted strong liquors are not only able to endure more fatigue, but also live much longer than those who use them daily. ^* But suppose strong liquors did enable a man to do more work, they must never­theless waste the powers of life, and of course occasion premature old age. They keep up a constant fever, which wastes the spirits, heats and inflames the blood and predisposes the body to numberless diseases. At page the same author tells us, that all intoxicating liquors may be considered as poisons. However disguis­ed, that is their real character, and sooner or later they will have their effect.’

Amongst the several prejudices in favour of the mistaken use of spirituous liquors, there is none gives it a greater sanction or support, than the prevailing opinion, even with persons of reputation, that what they term a moderate quantity of rum mixed [Page 9]with water, is the best and safest liquor that can be drank; hence confirming the opini­on, that spirit in one form or other is neces­sary. To such who have not been accustom­ed, and think they cannot habituate them­selves to drink water, there may appear to be some kind of plea in this argument, especially to travellers, who often meet with beer, cider, or other fermented liquors that are dead, hard, sour, or not properly fer­mented, which tend to generate air in the bowels, producing colicks, &c. But if those persons suffered the weight of the sub­ject, and the encouragement they thereby give to the use of those destructive spirits, to take proper place with them, it might suggest the propriety, if not necessity of in­troducing a more salutary practice.

That pure fluid (water) which the benevo­lent father of the family of mankind, points out for general use, is so analogous to the human frame, that people might with safety gradually use themselves to it. Dr. Cheyne observes, that without all doubt, water is the primitive original beverage, as it is the only simple fluid fitted for diluting, moisten­ing and cooling; the ends of drink, appoint­ed by nature, and he adds happy had it been for the race of mankind, if other mix­ed and artificial liquors had never been in­vented. Water alone is sufficient and effec­tual for all the purposes of human want in drink: Strong liquors were never designed [Page 10]for common use. Speaking of the effect of wine, which he says to have been so much in use at the time he wrote, that the better sort of people scarcely diluted their food with any other liquor, he remarks, ‘That as natural causes will always produce their proper effects, their blood was in­flamed in gout, stone, and rheumatism, raging fevers, pleurisies, &c. Water is the only disolvent or menstruum, and the most certain diluter of all bodies proper for food.’

Doctor Short, in his discourse of the in­ward use of water, speaks much in its com­mendation. He says, we can draw a very convincing argument of the excellency of water, from the longevity and healthfulness of those who at first had no better liquor, and the health and strength of body and ferenity of mind, of those who at this day have no other common liquor to drink, of this the common people amongst the Highlands of Scotland, are a sufficient in­stance, amongst whom it is no rarity to find persons of eighty, ninety, yea an hundred years of age, as healthy, strong and nimble, as wine or ale bibbers are at thirty six or forty. The Doctor says, There is a ridicul­ous maxim used by drinkers, that water makes but thin blood, not fit for business. I say, says he, it is water only that can en­duce its drinkers with the strongest bodies and most robust constitutions, where execise [Page 11]or labour is joined with it, since it best assists the stomach and lungs to reduce the aliments into the smallest particles, that they may better pass the strainers of the body, which separates the nutritious parts of the blood to be applyed to the sides of the of the vessels, and exercise invigorates the fibres and muscles; whereas the rapid motion of blood exci­ted by drinking spirituous liquors, cannot fail of be­ing prejudicial to the body, it will cause the watery parts to dissipate, and the remaining to grow thick and tough, and the event be obstructions, inflamma­tions, imposthumations, &c.—and tho' strong li­quors afford a greater flow of spirits for a short time, yet this is always followed with as much lowness of spirit; so that to gain a necessary stock of spirits, the person is obliged to repeat the same force, till he learns a custom of drinking drams. In this we are confirm­ed, if we consider the great strength and hardiness of poor rusticks in many parts of the world, whose provisions is mostly vegetable food, and their drink water. The Doctor adds, that it often happens that persons of tender, weakly, crazy constitutions, by refraining from strong liquors and accustoming them­selves to drink water, make a shift to spin out many years.

After describing the many distempers produced by drinking malt or other fermented liquors he adds, that seeing constitutions differ, it is not to be expect­ed that spirituous liquors should produce all the same symptoms in one and the same person, yet that all drinkers have several of them; and if they come not to that height, it is because they afterwards use great exercise or hard labour, with sometimes thin diluting liquors, which prevent their immediate hurting.

And with respect to such well disposed people, who still retain a favourable opinion of the use of spirits mixed with water, ought they not, even from love to mankind, to endeavour to refrain from it, [Page 12]on account of the effect their example may have in en­couraging others in the use of spirituous, liquors, a­greeable to the example left us by the apostle Paul, 1. Cor. viii. 13. If meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh white the world stands, lest I make my brother to offend. How much more ought they to refrain from that which tends to establish mankind, in a practice so generally destructive, more especially when they consider the danger themselves are in of encreasing the quantity of spirit with their water, as it has been observed, that the use of this mixture is particularly apt, almost imperceptible to gain up­on those that use it, so that many otherwise good and judicious people have unwarily to themselves and others, fallen, with the common herd, a sacrifice to this might devourer.

A very eminent physician has given the following direction, for the benefit of those who have not wis­dom enough left at once to abandon the odious and pernicious practice of drinking distilled spirituous li­quors, viz. By degrees to mix water with the spirit, to lessen the quantity every day, and keep to the same quantity of water, till in about the course of a week, nothing of the dram kind be used along with water. By this means the person will suffer no in­conveniency, but reap great benefit upon leaving off drams or spirits as has been tried by many. If any gnawing be left in the stomach upon quite leaving it off, a little warm broth, weak tea, or any thing of that kind, will be a service. The appetite always increases in a few days after leaving off drams, un­less by the too long continuance of them, the tone of the stomach is destroyed. And when the stomach is thus affected a cup of carduus, camomile, worm­wood or centaury tea, every morning fasting and eve­ry evening will be found a good remedy.