The Physical, Moral and Social Effects of Alcoholic Poison (1876)

AUTHOR: Kellogg, John Harvey

SUMMARY (Ridvan Askin, edited Deborah Madsen):

In the Preface, Kellogg insists that “the temperance question is one of the momentous problems of the day” (iii). The discussion of the question is organized along the following lines: Kellogg presents his definition of Temperance, which encompasses much more than mere abstinence from liquor. He then discusses alcohol and its production before turning to its effects on the body. This is followed by a chapter on the moral and social effects of alcohol. In  a further chapter, Kellogg considers arguments against Temperance then focuses on the causes and cures of intemperance before ending the book with two chapters on the medical use of alcohol and the refutation of apologetics based on the Bible.

For Kellogg, veg*ism constitutes an important factor in both the prevention and cure of intemperance. He defines Temperance to include abstention. Kellogg insists on total abstention, making a distinction between the alcoholic and, for example, the glutton who merely consumes too much. Temperance deals with substances that should not be consumed at all: alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee, tobacco, and other stimulants and narcotics (9-12). Kellogg argues that the use of alcohol in cookery “has done not a little to cultivate a love for the burning beverage. Wine and brandy sauces, and other preparations containing alcohol, early excite and form a love for alcoholic drink in children” (66). The same applies to “stimulating and irritating condiments”: “Pepper, spices, and large quantities of salt and most other condiments, have an unmistakable influence in creating and exciting a love for stimulating foods and drinks, and thus ultimately lead toward intemperance” (67). Tea, coffee, and tobacco, being stimulants and irritants, also foster an inclination towards alcohol, as does the medical use of tobacco (68-69).

While Kellogg supports Prohibition, he points out that it does not constitute a cure (69). The only cure begins by curbing “the appetite for stimulating food, and exciting the palate with irritating condiments. The battle must be waged against tobacco and opium, as well as alcohol. All modes and degrees of stimulation must receive equal censure” (73). It is in this context that Kellogg denotes “Vegetarianism a Cure for the Appetite for Alcohol” (73), explicitly mentioning “[b]eans, peas, rice, and highly glutinous bread (Graham bread)” as particularly useful items of diet (74). Given that alcohol and substance abuse also have detrimental social and moral effects – they correlate with criminality and mental illness, traits that Kellogg takes to be hereditary – veganism is not merely related to health but assumes a highly ethical import.