Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1854-09-14
From the Elevator.
EFFECTS OF sPIRITUOUS LIQUORS

From the Elevator.
EFFECTS OF sPIRITUOUS LIQUORS
The astounding fact which scientific
experiments have brought to ligh! as
to the effects Of spiriluous liquors in sud-
denly changing the vital condition Of the
blood, presents remarkable feature Of its
depressing and unhealthy tendency. 1t is
a fac. known 10 all who have investigated
The physiology of the life of snimals and
man. that both dark and red blood are ne
cessary for the maintenance Of life in any
organized body.
If we draw from the arm one gill Of the
red or arterial blood, and add to it abou,
half the quantity Of alcohol, i, is almost
instantly changed to dark or veinous blood.
1t must, therefore, when taken, interrupt the
circulating forces, by deprving the red
blood Of its vitality. Again Leibeg took
l41 grains of fresh animal membrane, which
contained "a grains substance and IO7 grains
water, and soaked it for a time in chou,
9 ] 2 cubic inches of alcohol When re-
moved, the membrane was found 10 con-
,ained 80 grains of.alcohoI, and to have los,
80 grains of water. ''For one volume of
alcohol, therefore, retained by the men,
brsne," says Lebeg, sra.her more than
three volumes of water have been expelled
from it," Four fflhs of the blood, and
three -fourlhs Of the brain, muscles, nerves,
and tissues Of all organs lha! compose our
bodies, consists of water. Water, then, is
the medium which Creative wisdom has
prepared to conduct the vital changes of
living beings, from the loves. to the high
est. |! is question, then, which all should
ask themselves, and particularly the oung,
how can progress in my physical and
intellectual manhood, if use an article
which thus changes the relation of the blood
and removes more than three times its vol.
une of wafer from the body, when taken in
10 The stomach
il is said that sp;rituous liquors aid in the
promotion Of health, and act as preventive
Of disease. A brief analysis under which
the functions Of the stomach are carried for
ward, will satisfy any rational mind upon
ihi -point. Thai----------I--- ----,--.-..n IL
OF me stomach, secretes a fluid called the
gastric juice +; by this fluid stomach diges-
,ion is accomplished. 1t contains two diff
ferent kinds Of substances the one is an
acid which mparls an acidulous character 10
the digestive operations of the stomach the
other substance essential to digestion is a
peculiar organic principle called Pepsin.-
This is a nitrogenized compound, which
exsisss dissolved IN the gastric juice. Chem
lists prepare it by adding alcohol to the gas
tric juice, which precipila.es the pepsin.-
Alcohol throws down pepsin from lis solu-
BILE active form, TO the solid inert condition
Spiriluous liquors, then, SO long as they re-
main in The stomach, must be prompt end
powerful nsogonss Of the digestive PROCESS
Hence the remark of Todd and Bowman
"Were it not that wine and spirits are
always absorbed, the introduction of these
into the stomach in any quantity would be
complete bar TO the digestion Of food, a:
The pepsin would be precipitated from So
luton as quick as it was secre'ed by the
stomach"
These facts are met by those who art
subjuga,ed by ihe habi. of using spirituou:
beverages with the remark, lha. they knew
some men who lived sixty, seventy ,and ever
eighty years, and drank daily. In reply
we would ask, How do they know bu
what constitutions, wilhslanding as they dit
the effects Of such a virulent poison, woul'
have retained in the enjoyment Of goo'
health with their families and friends 70
years longer if they had lived strictly so
Der life? A case in point now occurs t.
our mind, of an old gentleman some year
ago, who gave in his testimony in an imPor
lant land sui, in New York. During tn
relation as to wha. he knew, he had occa
sion to remark that he was l52 years ole
His walk, looks, and quickness of though
and expression, caused the judge 10 ask hr
how he lived TO be so old, and retain S
perfectly his physical and mental activity
lie replied:
"Sprits and wine always refused;
Late hours | never used;
kept my head and feet from cold,
And that's the reason I'm so old"
Alcohol consists Of four atoms Of carbon
six of hydrogen, and two Of oxygen. In
relative amoun. of alcohol in different ii
quors varies greatly. According to Brsnde
rum, whiskey, brandy, and gin, contain iron
So to 81 per cent. Port wine ~ cham
payne II per cent. cider 10 y; and bee
4 to per cent. This poisonous elemen
comes from the destruction Of sugar, an
from that source alone. SIT has The sam
origin ss those malignant and fatal eXhs
la,ions which constitute the genius oil pes
lience-ihe death and pulrefacIion OF mai
ter. Indeed the same ACT which gives brit
to alcohol, also brings into the world a 'w'
compound, which is one Of the promP'es
and sublles. of all poiSons-cafbonIc acI
gas" Alcohol is not product OF vege'a
ble growth, like those substances which az
created to form the food Of man. IN
chemis; has ever found II among The Gem