Grappling with the Monster

Alcohol's place in the household and public life supplies the starting point for T. S. Arthur's temperance argument. He gathers medical testimony, accounts of hardship and descriptions of reform efforts to press for prevention as well as recovery. The contents move from bodily effects and the growth of appetite to treatment institutions, women's organizations, reform clubs, coffee houses and the debate over licensing and prohibition.

A passage on a reform home gives the book's practical and religious concerns a human setting. Reading rooms, exercise, medical care, prayer and conversations with people who have maintained sobriety all become parts of a sustained effort to rebuild confidence. Arthur stresses patience between advocates who favor different methods. For readers interested in social reform and the history of attitudes toward drinking, the volume shows how health arguments, Christian belief and public policy were brought together in one campaign.