Permanent temperance documents of the American Temperance Society. Vol. I.

Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Permanent temperance documents of the American Temperance Society. Vol. I. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    525] I answer; until six years ago last January, I indulged occasion- ally in the use of cider and pearlashes, and beer and wine, the first of which in particular was frequently recommended and taken by me to cure the jaundice and sick head-ache, to which I was very subject—the second was recommended, and also occa- sionally taken, as a very healthy drink calculated to remove a watery and sour stomach, with which I was much afflicted ; often for years throwing off from my stomach in considerable quanti- ties whatever of foot! or drink was taken therein ; and was told by my physician that l was to be very short lived, unless I was careful to eat and drink such things only as would remain on my stomach. But I sought such articles of food and drink in vain—the third and last was recommended and taken to strengthen and cheer my drowsy, weak, and aching frame. But after abstaining entirely from all these, (and for more than three years previous I had abstained from the use of all distilled spirits) my health gradually improved until July of the same year, when I threw away my tobacco, and since that time, I have not chewed, snuffed, nor smoked the filthy weed. From this time, my health daily and permanently improved, and is now perfectly good. When I first abstained from all the above, my weight was 123 pounds, and now it is 153 pounds, and my stomach no more emits from it the food and natural drink taken therein, but digests it in the most natural and pleasant manner ; and my jaundice and sick head-ache have left me, and taken up their abode where they can find more natural food to feed on, than plain diet and cold water. As to your second inquiry, ‘ What has been the effect on the capability of making great and continued efforts of body and mind?’ you may judge when 1 inform you of some of my do- ings, (though they are all very small), viz: my business by which l obtain my living for myself, and wife, and numerous family of children, is the manufacturing of saddles, harnesses, and trunks. The purchasing and cutting out all the stock, and selling the same when manufactured, (as well as making ma.jy articles) 1 do altogether myself; and, during the past year,° I have discharged the duties of secretary of the Ithaca Temperance So- ciety, and secretary of the Tompkins County Temperance So- ciety ; also distributing agent for the county of Tompkins, and have received and distributed to all the towns in the county, monthly, 5,300 lemperance Recorders, and all the other tem- perance papers and almanacs which have been sent from the New-York State Society, (and they are far from being few’), and in the discharge of these duties have written about five hundred letters ; have acted as secretary for the Tompkins County Sab- bath School Union, and secretary of a fire company, in order to