Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-03-24
=
NO. 80.

sanity from early dawn Of day until late
hour at night, as to give alcohol TO q man
thus circumstanced. The man whipped
under these circumstances would undolbt-
edly exhibit vitality and probably with q
vengeance too, even to the effect of giving
the transgressor practical demonstration
illustrative of his remaining strength ; yet
the ultimate effect upon the tired sleeper
would only be increased weakness, becimse
of the vitality expended in the combat.
Thus with the man who has been labor
ing for weeks, and probably months with
disease. his strength is exhausted and
what he now wants Is rest and noursh-
ment To give to him alcohol at this time,
would be but to give necessity for fresh
waste of strength in another contest, which
could but lessen the. chance for recovery,
in corresponding degree. This is in ac-
cordance with the facts and experience, yet
opposed to the absurd notions of medical
science, which, by the by, has been the
cause of no small number Of deaths among
earth's inhabitants and it is time the
world should know it.
Does not every one know by experience,
who is accustomed to drink alcohol, that
the depression consequent upon its uHe i
always greater than the exaltative Does
not the drunkard know, that after passing
through the deIirious whirlpool of excite-
ment in his debanches the ultimate de-
preston is almost unendurablei And
ought not the physician to know, that to
give it as medicine to stimulate, when
the spark Of life seems to be ready to leave
its earthly house, Is but to hasten too sure
ly its untimely exit
II, then, there were no other evils in this
matter than that of weakness and depress-
ion, consequent upon the wear and tear Of
the organism in self defense, vet the evil
is sufficiently great to condemn its use for
ever as a stimulant. But notwithstanding
all that the system can 10 in self defense,
alcohol commits ravages of such heirous
nature upon the material organism, fh2f
seemingly none but insane persons would
ever think of drinking or prescribing it as
medicine.
When,alcohol is. taken into the stomach,
it is Immediately passed on By absorption
into the blood vessels and circulates in the
same through the whole system, and Is III
timately, and as soon as practicable, de-
tcsged from the body by the several
emunctories-the liver, lungs, skin and xid-
neys. In passing thus through the sys-
tern, every part, with which it comes in
contact suffers chemical change, notwith-
standing it is counteracted by the same
Thus the albuminous constituent of the
blood, into which form all the nutritive al
imcntary principles are changed by diges-
ton, and from which all the structures Of
the physical organism are formed and built
up of Is coagulated, and prevented from
undergoing its proper formative change in
to vitaHzed fibrin. Hence, it stops one Of
the most important life operations of the
animal economy, that Of nutrition, with
out which the several tissues Of the body
cannot be built up. How then can the
physician give it to patient who needs
noarishDasHt above epery thing else, and NOT
kill timl The fact is, / venture the a.
sertiop, there never was a man, woman o.
child saved bv alcohol given as q stimu-
liant or otherwise, that might not have beer
more certainly cured by other appropriate
means; whilst it can hardly be denied, thai
multitudes Of all ages, sizes and sexes, have
passed hence, that might have remained
awhile longer upon terra frDaa, but for al
cohol incidentally prescribed.