Intemperance and Crime
“Crime and disease have increased with every succeeding generation. Intemperance in eating and drinking, and the indulgence of baser passions, have benumbed the nobler faculties of man. Reason, instead of being the ruler, has become to be the slave of appetite to an alarming extent. An increasing desire for rich food has been indulged, until it has become the fashion to crowd all the delicacies possible into the stomach. Especially at parties of pleasure is the appetite is indulged with but little restraint. Rich dinners and late suppers are served, consisting of highly seasoned meats, with rich sauces, cakes, pies, ices [ice-cream], tea, coffee, [add to this soda], etc. No wonder that with such a diet people have sallow complexions and suffer untold agonies from dyspepsia (indigestion).
Against every transgression of the laws of life, nature will utter her protest. She [nature] bears abuse as long as she can; but finally the retribution comes, and it falls upon the mental as well as the physical powers. Nor does it end with the transgressor; the effects of his indulgence are seen in his offspring, and thus the evil is passed down from generation to generation.”