An examination of the essays Bacchus and Anti-Bacchus / by John MacLean.

  • Maclean, John, 1800-1886.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An examination of the essays Bacchus and Anti-Bacchus / by John MacLean. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    savage and civilized lands, is given in more or less detail. The effects of intemperance on the prosperity of nations, and on the welfare of the church, are brought to view. The moral and physical causes of intemperance are discussed; also, the diseases and other evils arising from the free use of in- toxicating drinks. The nature and combinations of alcohol, the nature of fermentation, and the adulteration of intoxicat- ing liquors, are examined at large ; also, the customs of the Hebrews, and of the primitive Christians, in regard to the use of wine. In examining this wide range of subjects, the author of Bacchus has certainly collected a large number of interesting facts, the perusal of which will amply repay one for the time that may be necessary to peruse the work : and yet it might not unfrequently be difficult to suggest any reason why they are classed under one head rather than another. The claims of the author of Anti-Bacchus to attention, are thus set forth by himself: I examined every text of scripture in which wine is mentioned: I inquired very minutely into the laws of fermentation; into the character of the grapes and the wines, and the drinking usages of antiquity : the result of these inquiries was, that I came to the firm conclusion that few, if any, of the wines of antiquity were acoholic. I ex- amined Homer, Aristotle, Polybius, Horace, Virgil, Pliny, Columella, Cato, Palladius, Varro, Philo Judaeus, Juvenal, Plutarch, and others. I read each in the original language, and therefore have not been misled by any interpreter ; and in every instance, I have carefully examined the context, that I might not give an unfair representation to any of my authorities. On this passage, we shall at the present sim- ply remark, that Mr. Parsons would probably have made fewer blunders had he not attempted to read each in the original language.