A Temperance Man

The noted total abstainer in England Vtho lately died froni what was undbubt■ edly deliritwa tremcns preseuts a strik ing coinmemary on the gullibility of huI ruau nature. Ho was sincere in believing himself a thorougligoing temperance man. Ho never touched wine, beer or whisky or any other alcoholic drink - not if he knew it. But he did not know it. He was iu the habit of taking a favorite brand of ton ie or bitters to brace hirn np. The fact tfaat it contained much more alcohol than ordinary beer or wine, honestly labeled as such, was unknovvn to him. He repudiated spiritnous and malt I liquors as of the evil one and indulged ii) tlie highest kind of drunks on bitters. Finally he died actnally of delirium tremens from taking bitters for his health. Physicians understand, though the victims do not, nsually, that the so called tonics, bitters and other liqnid preparations for bracing up people contaiu often more alcohol than known intoxicating beverages. It is ratheramusing, therefore, to see a distinguished doctor of divinity printing over his own name a recommendation of a remedy Wbiofa owes its entire popnlarity to the alcohol it contains. The reverend gentleman wonld be horrified at the thought of drinking beer or whisky, and yet he publicly reconnnends to all, young and old, a" preparation which contaius in one dose more intoxicant than he would get from three glasses of beer. The Massachusetts board of health has had a chemical analysis made of 47 compounds put oh the inarket as ton ie medicines. Of these, 46 contained alcohol, aud big doses of it too. One "wine bitters' ' was nearly half alcohol. Worst of all, inany of theru were advertised as nonalcoholic. On the -w-hole, it seems as if professional gentlemen andladies witb a high reputaticm to maintain would do well to go a little slow in recommending patent tonics, tbat is if they really go in for total abstinence.