Smoking and Drinking

In Short

Written in 1868, this non-fiction treatise evaluates the physical, economic, and moral costs of smoking and drinking in American society. Combining personal observation, medical experiments, and contemporary social critique, the text moves from the daily choices of working men to the specialized care offered at the Inebriate Asylum near Binghamton, New York. It argues that popular stimulants do not add genuine strength, but merely allow individuals to tolerate unhealthy habits and poor living conditions. The work endures as a vivid portrait of early American reform literature, blending practical reformism with a portrait of nineteenth-century domestic life.

The Story

The text opens with a broad consideration of nineteenth-century progress, noting significant advances in public education and freedom of thought, while arguing that individual health remains poorly managed. Focusing first on tobacco, the narrative examines the common habit of smoking among laboring men, using a veteran hod-carrier to demonstrate how the pipe serves as a false consolation. Rather than inspiring a worker to improve his circumstances or assist his family at home, tobacco lulls the brain into a passive acceptance of hardship. The argument then moves to educated and prosperous men, showing that even those in positions of leadership frequently regret acquiring the habit. The author points out that tobacco damages physical vitality, distorts family life, and encourages men to withdraw from household responsibilities into segregated male spaces.

Shifting its focus to alcohol, the analysis addresses the chemical composition of wine and spirits, maintaining that alcohol acts primarily as a temporary brain stimulant rather than a source of nourishment. Scientific tests on animals, alongside clinical observations of heavy drinkers, demonstrate that ingested alcohol moves rapidly to the brain, overriding the body's natural warnings to rest or recuperate. Alcohol and tobacco thus function as mutual allies, enabling professionals, late-night workers, and social banquet guests to overtax their bodies without immediately suffering the consequences. Turning to international examples, the text highlights how the heavy consumption of wine in France and beer in Bavaria consumes national surplus wealth and energy, proving that total abstinence offers the only complete solution.

The narrative reaches its focal point in an investigation of the Inebriate Asylum in Binghamton, New York. After exposing financial mismanagement by an early administrator, the account details the institution's therapeutic environment, where patients surrender their funds, immediately cease drinking without a gradual transition, and regain their health through regular exercise, structured lectures, and community support. Led by Dr. Albert Day, the asylum focuses on helping men whose heavy drinking renders them unable to work without artificial stimulation, offering relief to the families left behind. The work concludes with a late-night street-car ride through New York City, where the sight of exhausted, intoxicated passengers returning home illustrates the pervasive impact of alcohol on everyday urban life.

How It Unflows

The promise of social progress The author reviews nineteenth-century advancements in public schooling and intellectual freedom, concluding that physical health has failed to keep pace with these institutional achievements. Personal well-being and daily habits require the same systematic attention previously directed toward education.

The illusion of the poor man's pipe Examining a senior laborer carrying heavy loads, the text illustrates how tobacco induces artificial contentment with a grueling life. Instead of working to improve his trade or helping his weary family at home, the smoker chooses temporary oblivion over constructive action.

The hidden cost to prosperous men Prosperous and educated smokers are shown to acknowledge the harmful nature of their habit, often wishing they had never started. Tobacco impairs physical vitality, drives husbands away from domestic life into private clubs, and harms the natural balance between the sexes.

The physiological reality of alcohol Chemical facts and medical experiments demonstrate that alcohol provides virtually no physical nourishment, traveling directly to the brain to dull normal physiological signals. It functions chiefly by allowing individuals to overwork and violate natural laws without immediate collapse.

The sanctuary at Binghamton A visit to the Inebriate Asylum near Binghamton shows how structured care, total abstinence, fresh air, and mutual intellectual encouragement help confirmed drinkers recover. Under Dr. Albert Day, patients regain physical strength while relieving the emotional burdens carried by their families at home.

The midnight street-car A late-night street-car trip through New York City offers a final look at urban nightlife, filled with sleep-deprived and intoxicated riders. The scene reinforces the central argument that alcohol damages public order and household peace throughout all levels of society.

The People

The Hod-Carrier An elderly laborer who spends his evenings smoking a pipe to cope with physical exhaustion. He seeks relief from his difficult surroundings, but his habit prevents him from acquiring new skills, aiding his overburdened wife, or improving his family's living conditions.

Henry Ward Beecher A young college student who earns his first ten dollars by walking eighty miles to deliver a speech. He chooses to purchase a fifty-volume collection of Edmund Burke's works rather than luxury smoking supplies, laying an intellectual foundation for his future career as a prominent preacher.

Dr. Albert Day The superintendent of the Inebriate Asylum near Binghamton, who oversees the recovery of thousands of patients. He enforces immediate total abstinence, cuts off access to spirits, and provides a structured environment that allows confirmed drinkers to rebuild their physical and mental strength.

The Clergyman Patient A minister who arrives at the asylum after consuming a quart of brandy daily for over two years, convinced he will die without it. Upon being placed under Dr. Day's care, he experiences an abrupt end to his drinking, suffers through forty-eight hours of intense craving, and ultimately recovers his health and working capacity.

In Its Own Voice

"The first dollar that George Law ever earned, after leaving his father's house, was earned by carrying the hod at Albany."

This detail introduces a contrast between an ambitious laborer who used his earnings to buy study books and a worker who spends his spare time smoking.

"A husband who spends one day and seven evenings of every week at his club ought to expect that his wife will provide herself both with fine clothes and some one who will admire them."

The author argues here that male indulgence in smoking rooms and private clubs damages domestic life and isolates wives at home.

"For forty-eight hours the patient craved the accustomed stimulant intensely, and he was only enabled to sleep by the assistance of bromide of potassium."

This passage describes the initial recovery phase experienced by a severe alcoholic upon entering the treatment program at Binghamton.

What It's Really About

Beneath its specific critiques of tobacco and alcohol, the text examines how daily personal choices influence both individual character and broader social progress. It argues that genuine human advancement requires physical self-discipline, mental clarity, and an active commitment to home life. Tobacco and alcohol are presented not merely as bad habits, but as false comforts that mask underlying social problems, such as poor housing, excessive labor, and domestic neglect. By relying on artificial stimulants to endure daily strain, individuals avoid making necessary improvements in their personal lives and communities. Ultimately, the work asserts that true moral and intellectual development relies on preserving bodily health, maintaining clear judgment, and facing life's difficulties directly without total reliance on physical crutches.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in social history, the temperance movement, or early public health literature will find this text a compelling historical record. It offers a detailed glimpse into nineteenth-century views on labor, domestic expectations, and medical science, written in a clear, persuasive style. The author's energetic tone and use of concrete anecdotes—such as college students managing limited funds, city commuters on early morning transit, and organized sports at an upstate asylum—keep the narrative grounded in daily experience.

While readers may notice dated social assumptions regarding gender roles, class structures, and medical concepts, these period elements highlight the historical context of early American reform movements. The detailed account of the Binghamton asylum stands out for its early recognition of addiction as a condition requiring specialized residential care, structured rest, and social support. The book remains a vivid historical portrait of an era striving to balance rapid material progress with personal well-being.