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Article: ANTIQUES.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Magazine Antiques
- Article date:
- December 1, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the devil.
Increase Mather, Wo to Drunkards, 1673
At the beginning of the eighteenth century it was universally believed that rum, gin, and brandy were nutritious and healthful. Distilled spirits were viewed as foods that supplemented Limited and monotonous diets, as medications that could cure snakebites and broken legs, and as relaxants that would relieve depression, reduce tension, and enable hardworking laborers to enjoy a moment of cheerful camaraderie. Among the first to be alarmed by ...