New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-14

which
unmo heat and animal power In scientific view foods
arc only those substances which capable Of becoming
psrts Il he animal body and then Of respng ths
uorgsuc state. rA0uf dong injury 10 ne fabric An
orgspized or living substances have this tendency 20
rsrh or return simple conditions and namber
Of chemical productions are formed as the successive
stegs Of this backward change Among these y alcohol
II + not product OF vegetable growth all foods bat
rerl; Of The destructive forces ofru'1acve decomDosi
onnnd differs totally in origin, chemical properties and
pertes from The elinen Mhch man stp'!s a. tp, nus
i he peculiar and active principle Of liquors
We nov inquire Whist lis behavior IN the human system
VI en- aCohoc liquors are taken INTO lhe stolaA taey
40 nein there ~ he dgeted Ike alimentary matter.
but are az once taken mp by the veins snd pas orwa 10
he general circulation. Ii they remained N the stomach
thew would stop ali Digestion thereby destroying the gas
tr Juice, Prcci itstng lis pepsin I1ld snu
perhaps the first living authors upon physiological sub
iec,s The Of alcoholic simuans also retsrd ss
ton by ccagulang the pepsin anu thereby inen5nAg
with is action" Were Il not that wine and spirits arc
rardly absorbed The Introduction OF these into the sto
ach IN ang quGuy would be complete bar - the dges
ton Of the food the pepeu would be precptsaed from
solution as quickly Il was secreted blythe stomach nav
ing en,Trd the circulation the scohol IS distributed
throughout the system enters those parts which have
the strongest attraction for IL What are ts OF
f,cts upon the animal tissues The humsn body u
heateF OF the constant change OF atoms and particles anh
tOcay forward these changes aud transportation OF a0m
the great medum-rom four htths 10 nlo toaths
Of all parts muscles nerve eye and brain Is JUST As
vital and living an element of the tissues the solid
substances with which il associated Lebg msle the
following experiment; lie took piece Of fresh animal
membrane weighing al grains. and consisting OF 81
placed II in about "a cubic inches of alcohol after time
he withdrew IT, aud found that had absorbed grains OF
alcohol aud lost % Of rair The alcohol therefore drove
the water before H. dsplacng thrice IT, value ms ds
urbance OF the natural composition OF tissue we call dis
organization and il occurs whenever alcohol enters
living part This action of alcohol" depletion OF the Or
"gans as il is termodis recognized by Perelra in &c
counting for it, medicinal effects The next great conat
uent OF the body abumen which exists in the blood and
ali the fluids OF the system white OF egg Is sample OF
Ii the material from which all tissue structures are de-
rived With only the addition of warmth the chicken Is
produced from It. Throughout the body albumen Is con
stgntly changing into hbTin and hbrin into flesh. IL
is the foundation material OF the living fabric and the elab
Grafton of tissue from is one of the grand processes OF
nutrition Now albumen is susceptible Of change called
coaguston by which il is soidhed This change in the
the body is unheahf and II carried too far produces
death. Heat effects this attraction aud so do certain
chemical substances. have here some samples OF alou
add to them corrosive suolmaie WluaiCs am on
Of vitrio and you the eectthe abumen is iied
Those are posons. | now add alcohol you see i pro-
duces the effect We Judge Ut chemical substances
as do of men by the company they keep. we
see here by what ii does that it asserts brotherhood with
the swiitet and deadest pOs0ns its claims are just
and shall be allowed Now commonly taken alcohol
does destroy life but Just in proportion to It's extent
this pernicous effect which the powers OF system
NAV for long time resist but which finally induces va
rios forms of disease The effect of drinking in perver
ing the nutritious operations and in depressing the plastic
and healing powers of the body Is well known to phys
clans and dsncnes them from severe eurgcal operations
in such should be glad TO consider the relations
of alcohol to the conclusive or respiratory processes OF
the body fruitful and most important topic but time for
bids and proceed to other considerations. The power
which the living system possesses of anayzng food and
approprang its various elements when they are required.
very remarkable However various are our foods they
become dissolved and mingled in one uniform massthe
boodand from this current each part OF the body ex'
ud aS " oS lime are Withdrawn for the bones and else
where phosphOrizeS oils for the sulphur for the
muscles &c Each part exers local attraction for tho
especial constituents that il requires Now medicines as
every physician knows and poisons also follow the same
rule Different medicinal and poisonous substances.
when taken into the circulation, are drawn out az diner
n.
on the subject u poisons says that the suppositien
that posons act generally on the system is mis-
take they act tcalyi stryshnno, for example.
parazes the heart Now there is prevalent idea that
alcohol when introduced into the system mngss with the
mass of the blood and by il distributed to all parts, and
thus takes equal effect the general system IL sup
posed that the liquors. thus greatly weakened and hence
cannot act very powerfully anywhere This ia profound
mistake Alcohol obeys the same great laws which con-
troll nutrition and the action OF medicinal aud poisonous
substances II is localized in the sysemit il attracted
or drawn Of the circulating current by the affinity or
special attraction of certain parts when. therefore,
small quantity Of alcohol taken in drinking glass OF
wine are not to suppose that Is lost by diffusion ana
somewherethat il IL Withdrawn in some one spot which
thus may become much and seriously effected although
h. dose were apparently ring. The question arises
what under the action of this great physiological law Is
the destiny Of alcohol What part Of the fabric does 1t
seek and asten upon to establish those disorganzing
changes which have shown produces on the ssuesi
This il question of the highest import You need hard
y be reminded that the various parts of the body are VI
very unequal Importance performing functions whose
valves are remarkably different. man without
hands feet eyes, may be stih man.
parts internal and external may be diseased
DESTROYED and vet manhood in all is august essentials
still remains But ii in the manner, you disturb
disorder another portion Of the material abrcthe brain
how immensely different the effects The glory Of man
hood is extiDguhed You have storned and leyeed the
souls citadel you have changed god like being around
whom clustered all considerations Of grandeur and whose
mind mored the order and harmony Of the universe and
symbolzed the Creator In power into senseess aud pitt
able maniac Touch the material brain and You changea
being who hon0rs the sweet and sacred relations OF
domestic life, meets gladly bis multiiarous obtga-
tons to society and recognizes solemnly his respon-
sibities to the Creator into blind and irresponsible
agent of evil, shot with Gimess and headlong violence
athwart the peace Of society Within tho undisturbed
brain there the sublimest phenomena Of the crested
universethe dsoganized brain the most sad and depo
rable Truly may il be said then that this organ is tho
moot sacred material thngt God ha, made-lsbOraoy
Of wondersthe masterpiece Of the Almighty IL Is this
organ which alcohol is first and chiefly attracted and
which the grand heater Of lis ragings II Il withdrawn
from the circulating current and sezes upon the cerebral
matter by reason Of is special affinity for T. Inis Is
proved by its effects. If the chief object Of alcoholic
assault inferior organ of the body-the stomach
or liver or the heBrt-the question would be
uarayey unmportant But 1t attacks and dsorganizes
the BRAIN and thus dslocaes aud dodges tho response
bic soul and suspends all the relations Of manhood Here
il the warrant for society TO interfere. The use Of alco-
hoc beverages breaks down the mental and moral nature
Of man. producing insanity IN all IL stages from ts nrs
gentle jar Of intellectual and passonal accord TO the raw
ngs ungoyernabe madness or the death stupor oil com
It would be interesting had we time to trace the IN
equal action Of alcohol upon various parts ofthe brsints
progressive invasion Of the cerebral functions We
ibould end that by first embarrassing and breaking down
tie higher governing faculties and thereby stimulating the
baer propensies the effect Of alcohol 10 augment the
tendencies vice ard crime This Is precisely what
perence teaches for the concurrent testimony of all
who have had the Target chances Of observation that the
use II alcoholic beverages multpes crime in society
from four told to a ten fold proportion
An interesting question arises here TO where the real
responsibility Of this crime rests but cannot consider ii