Temperance prize essays / By Drs. Mussey and Lindsly.

Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Temperance prize essays / By Drs. Mussey and Lindsly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a * 5 s Z GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. lil ef the climate renders this inevitable, and gives to the human frame its capabilities of withstand- ing liquors: hence a quantity, which scarcely ruffles the frozen current of a Norwegian’s blood, would scatter madness and fever into the brain of the Hindoo. Even in Europe the inhabitants of _ the south are far less adapted to sustain intoxica- ting agents than those of the north. Much of this depends upon the coldness of the climate, and much also upon the peculiar, physical, and moral frame to which that coldness gives rise. The natives of the south are a lively, versatile people: sanguine in their temperament, and susceptible to an extraordinary degree of every impression. Their minds seem to inherit the brilliancy of their climate, and are rich with sparkling thoughts and beautiful imagery. The northern nations are the reverse of all this. With more intensity of pur- pose, with greater depth of reasoning powers, and superior solidity of judgment, they are ina great measure destitute of that sportive and creative brilliancy which hangs tike a rainbow over the spirits of the south, and clothes them in a per- petual sunshine of delight. The one is chiefly led by the heart, the other by the head. The one possesses the beauty of the flower garden, the other the sternness of the rock mixed with its severe and naked hardihood. Upon constitutions so differently organized it cannot be expected that a given portion of stimulus will operate with equal power. Theairy, inflammable nature of the first is easily roused to excitation, and manifests feel- imgs which the second does not experience till he has partaken much more largely of the stimulating