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Letter to Editor
January 28, 1789
The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A woman named Margery Two-Shoes writes to printers sharing her method to cure her husband's drunkenness: infusing rum with a live eel to make it disgusting. She suggests adding eels to all rum barrels for public benefit, criticizing excise taxes.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
From the Federal Herald.
Messrs. PRINTERS.
I AM a poor woman, and have for many years been plagued with a DRUNKEN husband; but happily have hit on a method, by which I hope I have cured him--and I beg you would publish it in your good paper, for the information of other unhappy women who may be in the like circumstances. The method is this,--Take a LIVE EEL, and put it into a bottle of rum, stop it up close and let it steep a few days; then take out the eel, and let the rum be drank as usual, and the more, the better; if it gives a puke, don't mind that, there is no danger; a few doses of this kind will abate the appetite for rum, and in a short time it will be an object of disgust and dread rather than of desire. I wish some kind friend to the health and happiness of mankind, would contrive to put a few live eels into every barrel of rum that is sold; it would do infinitely more good than all the excise, which is paid government; which in truth is nothing more than paying for the liberty of destroying ourselves and others by poison.
MARGERY TWO-SHOES.
Messrs. PRINTERS.
I AM a poor woman, and have for many years been plagued with a DRUNKEN husband; but happily have hit on a method, by which I hope I have cured him--and I beg you would publish it in your good paper, for the information of other unhappy women who may be in the like circumstances. The method is this,--Take a LIVE EEL, and put it into a bottle of rum, stop it up close and let it steep a few days; then take out the eel, and let the rum be drank as usual, and the more, the better; if it gives a puke, don't mind that, there is no danger; a few doses of this kind will abate the appetite for rum, and in a short time it will be an object of disgust and dread rather than of desire. I wish some kind friend to the health and happiness of mankind, would contrive to put a few live eels into every barrel of rum that is sold; it would do infinitely more good than all the excise, which is paid government; which in truth is nothing more than paying for the liberty of destroying ourselves and others by poison.
MARGERY TWO-SHOES.
What sub-type of article is it?
Comedic
Informative
Ethical Moral
What themes does it cover?
Temperance
Health Medicine
Social Issues
What keywords are associated?
Drunken Husband
Eel Remedy
Rum Infusion
Temperance Cure
Excise Criticism
Public Health
What entities or persons were involved?
Margery Two Shoes.
Messrs. Printers.
Letter to Editor Details
Author
Margery Two Shoes.
Recipient
Messrs. Printers.
Main Argument
infusing rum with a live eel cures drunkenness by making it repulsive; eels should be added to all rum barrels to promote public health over excise taxes that enable self-destruction.
Notable Details
Recipe: Live Eel Steeped In Rum Bottle For Days
Suggests Eels In Every Rum Barrel For Societal Good
Criticizes Excise As Payment For Liberty To Poison Oneself And Others