Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-01-13
TUESDAY, JANUARY Is, 1929
DIR. MUssEY ON INTEMPERANCE.

ties directing theif attention 70 The means oil
correcting the abuse Of spurious liquors. Tha,
,hty are the eauses-immedIale or remote-oi
a multitude Of diseases, both Of body and mind
no physician Of observation can doubt. They
clearly fall, therefore, within the legitimate
scope Of the pi ofe ssion and should atirac,
more Of It's attention than they have heretofore
done.
On the 5th Of June 1927, Dr. Z. d. Mussey.
professor Of Anatomy AMI Surgery in Dart
mouth College, and at that time President oil
the New Hampshire Medical Society, deliver
ed before the latter institution an address on
Ardent Spirit" which a, the request Of the
the Society, was published within the presen,
year.
As this interchangeable Of its kinds
in a great overwhelmingly, we shall no,
undertake its analysis, bu, the following extract
which contains the professors views on modus
ope,andi Of arden, spirits, and involves some
dispu'ed points in physiology, will not be read
without interest.
"What is the secret Of this witchery which
strong drink exerts over the whole man?
will try 10 tell you. After being received INFO
the stomach il is sucked up by absorbent ves-
sells, is carried into the blood, and circulaes
through the alimen,ary organs, through the
lungs, muscles, and brain, & doubtless through
evry organ Of the body. Not blood vessel
however minute, not a thread OF nerve in the
whole animal machine escapes its influence.
Whai is the nature Of this influence! IL dis
turbs the functions Of life; it increases for a
time the action Of living organs, but lessons the
power OF that action; hence the deep depres-
sion aad collapse which follow pre,ernaturaI
excitement. by habi'ual use, it renders The
living fbres less and less suscs p,ible TO the
healthy operation Of discriminating food and
drink, its exei,iug influences soon become in
corporated with all the living actions Of hun
ger, thirsi, aud exhaustion, are strongly asso-
cia,e6 with the recollection Of its exhilara,ng
effects, and thus bring along with them, the re-
stsiess desire for its reception.
i. evidence required Gifts being absorbed, &
pervading the different organs Of the body
Approach within few feet Of the rum or bran,
DIV drinker, and the odour Of his breath viii
quickly demonstrate, that the lungs, Iuaded
with the foul liquor, are dischargins it with a |
the energy in their power.
When taken by the nursing mother, il en>
tiers into the delicate food prepared by nature
for the nourishment and growth Of helpless in
fancy AID IN this way, may most nationally
be supposed, produces relish for an article
naturally disgusting, and lays thus early, in
Some instances, a foundation Tor inempera nce
in alter life. Wha' physciap has no, known
a nursing mother give fre,ful child a good
nights sleep, BY taking, herself, adUse Of bran
dy a; bed iimr'
Other organs than those destined for the for.
mo ION Of milk, manifest the presence OF this
article when il is combined with peculiar c.
dourS; tho,r organs especially, which arc set
as waste gates to the system, soon show how
foreign i, is, and i'll adapted TO the real wants
Of ,hr animal economy, by separating II from
the blood and taking il out Of the general cir
cula,ion as fast as possible.
The brain, hat most delicate and wonderful
organ, which fotms the mysterious link be-
tween the other forms of matter and mind, the
healthy functions Of which are essential to Wig,
erous intellectual operation, is capable Of inn
bi5ing alkohol, and having all its actions sud-
denly arres ed In point, is The case Of the man
who was picked up dead in London. soon after
having drank a quart Of Gin upon wager. Hr
wa, arri,d into the Westminster hospital md
there dI,secled. "ln the ,er,ricles of The brain
wa, found considerable quantity Of limpid
fluid; distinctly impregnated vita gin, both TO
the sruss of smtli and taste, and even 10 the
test ofinf,ammsbility. The liquid appeared, TO
the sense Of the examining students, as strong
a one third gin TO two thirds wafer
We know that alkohol, even when diluted,
by Ing contact after death, harJens the rain,
as well as the o,her sof. textures Of the body
WIN. con ain albumen; and although The vital
principles may enable the brain to resis, IN
gr-A, measure, and for a long time, this effrc,
Of alkohol. when brought into il from the s,o-
mach by the general circulation, The fact,
as alledged by many, and as am strongly in
due ed 10 believe from the limited means have
h ID Of observing, viz: ,ha, the bralns ofdrunk-
ards are literally harder a, death, than those Of
the temp, rate, may be considered in strict &C
cordanee with ne feels OF incompetence up,
or The intellectual functions. If this organ be
/. any degree hardened by the circulation of
diluted aikohol through IT'S minute and mos,
d.nca's'y organized parts, il might we'll be
less susceptible u those equisitely balanced
&C ions, which we San hardly help believing
20 r1isl in the imprr ssions made by external
OBJECTS. and IN the ,ariety OF combinations of
them, produced by the more abstract, and re-
tir d operations Of thr mud That large pro-
PORTION OF rpplers sa'iy discover an unnatu-
& 20 ootu .s ness Of in,e,le.t, and ,hs frequently
eA,ind originally quick and vigorous, become