Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-01-30
lcosTrsrrD rnoM LAST wi

H. H. iou'aans, Of Brooklyn, N. T.
IcoSrINuED FRoM LAST wEEK.l
Alcohol attracted 10 The Nervous Syslem-it 10
train Disorganiser.
The question now il. after alcohol has
passed into the vital stream, and thus gets
Tree cuurse thrurgt ths General system, what
s.ioS "sos'7s-- cr-v: 49, ia iaanonpc ,,f
th@ great physiological laS tn which have
referred, wlnt il its destiny To " hat part
ot the organism Is it first and chiefly attrac
ted It's the nervous system. and especial
~ ltS great controlling centre. the brain, that
~ singled out and becomes the chief focus
o. ltS raSages. This is - truth arkuow lodged
ard beyond dispute. For while il is n mat
ter ot notorious observation that spirituons
liquors, when drunk, have u tendency to hy
10 the head, as is evincrd hy the prompt
mental disturbance which they produce, the
diss"ctdF shows that the organ Of mind is the
rallylng point Of palpphIe disorganization
and disease, and the ahlest apnlogists of al
cohol also bear explicit testimony to the
fact. late ahle writer in the Westminis.
ter Review, who has attempted scientific
defence Of alcohol, recognizes fully it's specal
relationship to the nervous system, 'by its
great aiinity and the solective eagerness with
which it acts on that tissue" In n contro.
yersy which you had some time since with
Dr. Hun Of Albany upon the question of
stomach diseases induced by alcohol. your
adversary affirmed that . it is on the nervous
system that its most terrible effects are pro.
duced.' That alcohol has been extracted
from the matter Of the brain after death by
lntoxication, as n we'll established fact, and
repeated instances are on record where It
has been taken from the cavities (ventriclesl !
OF that organ in sufficient strength to be set
on hre and burn with its characteristic blue
name. Alcohol ha, been obtained from the
brain several days after the victims death
and 1t has been found in the cerebral sub
stance when il could not be detected either
In the ventricles of the organ or in any other
part ot the body. But cases in which the
action of alcohol upon the human brain can
oe directly enthusiastically studied are, from
the nature of things, rare and accidental
TOT the thorough and accurate exploration
OF the subject. therefore, resort has been had.
as in the eIucidntion of many other impor
Ant phySiologlcal problems, to experiments
upon the inferior animals.
DR.. Percy's Experiments.
We are indebted to DR.. Percy of Edin-
hnrrh for course Of experimental injuries
ot this kind which completely settle the uues-
; tnn -nd. yesiCy the E,hclusicps drawn from
observations upon The brain uf man. He
destroyed the animals by injecting strong nj.
coh0l into the system, and then suliccting to
analysis the hrains and other parts TO detect
the presence and proportion of the poison
The result ct his Investigations was not ONLY
that alcohol was drawn tn the brain hy spe.
eial attraction, hut that it existed rather in
the cerebral substance than in the vessels o
the organ. lie SAYS Although | have
subjected 10 analysis murh greater quan
tity Of blood than can possibly be present
within the Uranium, yet | have in genera
been able 20 procure n much larger proper
ton of alcohol from the hrnin than from al
this quantity of blood IIn hence infrrs
the existence of an affinity between alco
hol and the cerebral natter
Manner ofas Injurious action.
Now it can hardly he necessary to stat
that alcohol is nm agent of such active an,
powerful qualities that it cannot he dihruseC
through the cerebral tissue without givin.
rise ~ profound disturbance. have stateC
that the brain is u laboratory Of the mos
rapid vital changes, upon which it's function
al exercise depends. 4 substance Of the en-
ergetic afiinities and fiery irritant nature @
alcohol cannot enter the theatre Of thps
transformations without producing active in
reference. We know that the direct actor
Of alcohol upon the tissues is that of disor
gnrizing poison. mud, when lodged withir
the brain, this must he ils kind of effect
whatever may he it's degree. By its cage
attraction for oxygen and it's extreme inham
inability. ranging in this respect high ahoy
all normal ailments, it produces an unnatu
raj intensity of vital combustion, and conse.
uuently excitement, cxhlaratiOn and increas
ed action throughout tho system. BY rob
hing the arteral blood Of its oxygen,
changes it prematurely to the venious con
dition, and contributes, as was long sine
shown by Or. Prout, 10 the unnatural reter
tion Of carbonic acii within tho body. Thus
by the direct action Of alcohol dissem inate
through the substance of the brain. and b
the altered condition sf the blood which
induces, disease of the organ becomes iney
table. Accordingly. il is found that upo
past mortem examination Of the bodies Of il
ebriates, the brain exhibits conspicuous tr,
ccs uf the dcleterious agent in the shape
enlargement OF the vessels and thickening
their coats watcry and bloody effusions
enlargement of the membranes; preterna
ura' suitening and pulpy disurgnnization
the cerebral texture, with various other mo
bid appearances. la one case where deaf
was suddenly produced by an excessi,
quantity Of rum, the brain presented hlood
spots, and the cavities W ~ loaded with bloc
although the stomach was natural.
Alcohoi acts upon tie Brain mequaHy.
Psychologists are agreed that dif,re
parts Of the brain are devoted to diffare
uses. The first effect of alcohol is upon
higher and frontal portion, which is the Sc
of the intellectual and moral faculties. Tt
part Of the brain is excited by small qua
tity OF liquor. aud when more is taken it |
comes more deeply perverted, and the hin
er and lower portion Of the organ, whi
controls the nerves pf motion, is attacke
and the individual loses the faculty of p,
fectly governing or regulating the bod
movements. When still greater quaint
Is drunk. the action Of that part which is
voted to the higher sentiments seems utt
ly suspended. the power Of voluntary mott
is lost, and the poison passes downward
the extreme lower portion Of the org'
which is connected with the spinal cord, a
has charge Of the respiratory process. /
breathing is thus intprfared with, and
comes heavy and labured as we see in del
drunkenness When death occurs in the
cnses, it is because this part Of the brain
comes 81 donplv poisoned rs to stop respi
tinn. These effects show that alcohol is
dlHused uniformly through the brain,