The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1851-06-11
Sons Of Temperance.

SOhs Oi temperance.
Effects Of Alcohol on the Physical Constitl
Life and health are essential TO mans h,
p'ness; consequently whatever tends to at
brevlaie the one or impair the other, shout
require bu, TO be known to he carefully avoi
ded.
vi all that vast multitude of human ben o
who are IN the habit of using alcohol in som.
of"s forms as daily beverage, perhaps yer,
lev have ever paused and dispassionately con
sldered. With The lights Of science to asst.
the enquify-Wha are its effects upon IN,
physical Constitution How does IT modlf,
The actions, or alter the structure Of those
organs, upon whose healthy functions depene
the phe.omena of life and health! Ii shal
be the object Of the following brief essay tc
point out soUe Of those deleieriou. Effect, up.
on human health which result from this de
grading habif.
/ ln order to comprehend the effects Of al.
cobol upon the physical health of man, i, is
necessary lha, We g ance hastily al the heal.
thy Junction Of those organs, whose constant
action keeps IN motion the wheels OF life.
Man without food dies. But food to an.
s~er the purposes for which 1t 10 taken must
be dgested and converted into blood /; and
from that vital fluid oil the different parts Of
The body are butt up and noUrished. The
food passing into the stomach 10 there con.
ver,ed by the action Of ths' organ, into sub
stance capable of beine acted upon by the
minute absnrben, vessels. These convert i,
into milk, 0uid called Chyie. Ia It's pas.
sage onward through the veins to the right
side the heart IL under goes the transform
alton from ChyI to blood. The conttac
lions of the heart send it 10 the lungs where
II receives from the air we breathe, the ne.
eessary oxygen to 6t il for the use OF the dif
terent organs and tissues OF the body. Pass.
ing back from the lungs TO the left side Of
the hear, 1t is thence sen, in copious streams
to every part Of the body, impsr,ins life
health and ,igor.
The brain receives through the great ar.
teries OF the neck, more than any oiher or
gan; II requires more to support il in that
sleepless activity so necessary TO our exs.
tence. By means Of this plentiful supply OF
healthy blood, this organ is enabled 70 send
oa, those constant streams of healthy inner.
vaiion which cause the heart 10 beat, the
stomach TO digest, the liver to secrete bile,
and in word, every organ to perform its as.
signed duty in The economy Of health. The
blood having now accomplished It's mission
of impartlng It's nutriiive properties to the
tissues, returns through the large veins,
charged with those PARTICLES, composed prn
clpaIly OF Carbon, which being Of no further
use it is the lntt rest of the economy TO cast
cf, These are discharged principally through
those important organs, the lungs, liver skin,
and kidneys, which thus serve as outlets for
~hat-if retained-would produce disease
and death. Such is the circle of vital actions
arranged by the great author Of our being,
for the development Of the manifestations of
our physical life; mutually dependent, yet
each in itself competent for the discharge Of
its assigned duty, the organs Of our body con
siitute a system, which while it bears the
impress of divinity, is yet, from its profound
lnli'cacy, subject 10 frequent arrangements,
from the operation Of those unioward ,tnuen.
ces to which it is constantly exposed
We come now To e,qn,re, what are tho ef
tecls upon thus beautiful succession OF vital &C.
tons, of The hab,lual use of ardent or aco.
hollc spirits
Our frs, proposition is that alcohol, being
incapable OF undergoing the processes OF d.
gesllon aud assimilation, passes unchanged
into tho blood ; and as much of the force of
the subsequent reasoning depends upon the
truth of this proposition, /, may be well TO
give hero few OF the facts upon tho author,
,y Of which it is so confidently advanced.
Substances received into the stomach can
only pass to he different lorgans-as The lungs.
,hs heart, the brain--lhrough the blood YES.
sells, thus Of necessity becoming mixed with
the blood and that alcohol does find hs
way to the lungs 10 most manifest from the