sed it is only in most moderate quantities,
and usually, on special occasions.

It is only comparatively recently that the absolute truth of the Bible
dictum that, "Wine is a mocker" has been realized.

Brandy and whiskey were taken for generations to make one warm on a
cold day because it gave one temporarily a flush of warm blood to the
skin, only to cool down the temperature of the body later, so that
instead of raising the temperature of the body, alcohol actually
lowers the temperature of the body.

Many people took alcohol when excessively hot to cool the body, but if
the temperature of the outside air is higher than the temperature of
the body, as is the case on excessively hot days in summer, the rush
of blood to the surface would only have the effect desired in the
first few minutes of the action of the alcohol. The skin would tend to
become dry, the temperature of the blood to rise, subject to the
influence of the hot air. This heated blood striking the vital organs
accounts for the fact that on those excessively hot days, when there
are many sunstrokes, most of them are among men who not only
habitually take alcohol, but who are under the influence of alcohol at
the time.

Many people have taken alcohol to improve digestion, but scientific
observations on digestion under the influence of alcohol have shown
that the digestion is actually retarded.

Many people have taken alcohol to make their muscles strong, and one
does actually imagine that he is stronger after a moderate dose of
alcohol, but many careful experiments on the part of numerous
observers have shown that the muscles are really less strong and can
do progressively less work the larger the dose of alcohol.

Many thought that alcohol would stimulate the action of the brain and
have taken it for that purpose; but experiments have shown that while
there is temporarily a greater activity of the brain, this activity is
less under control of the higher brain centers. The after dinner
champagne may loosen the tongue of the post-prandial speaker but he
may say many things which the judgment would not commend.

So, in all those applications that men have made of alcohol through
the ages, we find on careful examination, that in every case the
alcohol actually has an effect opposite to that which has been
attributed to it. How true then are the words of the Bible: "Wine is
a mocker."

If an alcoholic beverage actually helped the muscles, the brain o