Beginnings of Intemperance
By A. B. Olsen
MANY say that the first glass is the beginning of intemperate habits, but in the majority of cases this is not so. You must go back beyond that first glass, and inquire, What was it that made the man or boy want that first glass? And you will find, in many cases, that the appetite for liquor had already been formed before the first glass of wine or beer was taken. Some of us have thought, perhaps, that alcoholic liquors are the only stimulants; but there are others; there are foods that have stimulating effects on the body, and tend to develop in children, as well as in adults, an appetite for something stronger. Rich foods, often eaten with a large amount of condiments, produce an evil effect on the body, and create a desire for something stronger. Flesh meats of all kinds are stimulating. Thus in many cases the appetite for strong drink has been formed in a temperate home where no alcoholic liquors were used. This is an important question, and should receive much attention. The children and youth ought to have the most wholesome food, simply prepared and affording ample nourishment.