Dr. Alfred Carpenter on Moderate Drinking.

Moderate drinking is doing an enormous amount of harm to the health of the country, and statistics will undoubtedly prove a few years hence that men who are abstainers live healthier lives, have sounder constitutions, and enjoy a more comfortable existence than those who continue to use these drinks in moderation, and have, perhaps, never been drunk in their lives, It is to the moderate drinking they owe, without being aware of it, those headaches, those palpitations of the heart, the shortness of breath, that inability to mount upstairs, and all those troubles that they refer to certain diseases of their constitution, "but of which in reality they have laid the foundation in their daily doses of alcohol I may say that this view of the question, as far as the doctors are concerned, is a very losing one, for the doctors who take Up that line are certain to suffer for it, and very materially. Fortunately, as far as I am personaily concerned, it does not matter much, but I have no hesitation in saying that the views I hold have been thousands out of my pocket. A young man commencing practice could not take the course I am taking in the present day—of denouncing alcohol It is not reasonable to expect him to do it. There are medical men who do not hesitate to say alcohol is useful, and a certain class of patients will flock to those medical men, because they will have salve to their conscience in being able to say, " The doctor ordered it"; and the result will undoubtedly be, as I have neon in so many cases—men of-eminence and position, and great ability, will cut short their days by taking wine under the delusive idea that it was a benefit to them. I have not the least doubt in my own mind that alcohol is a most determined and decided poison, and if I see a patient suffering from the effects of alcohol, undoubtedly It is my duty to say " Leave it off instantly, If these symptoms of poisoning have not been developed, I should still advise that they must let it alone" leaving it to their judgment how soon or how late they are to do it. It is said that wine is beneficial; and strychnine is beneficial no doubt; but I say without hesitation that if a man in good health takes quinine every day of his life, or small doses of arsenic, that man is certain within a few months to have disease established in his constitution by the poison he has been taking—and precisely the same arises with reference to alcohol. If he takes it day by day, it is a poison, and it is certain sooner or later to do Just what quinine or arsenic would do, establish a disease in that particular man's Constitution. We have argument on our fide, science on our side, and practice on our side, with regard to abstinence and against moderate drinking.

Every house should keep a filter constantly supplied with water which has been first boiled, then the most wholesome drink, pure water, would be always available.