Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-09-11

or turgid and flushed; the breathing usu>
ally slow and soft, not unfrequently laboN
rlous, very rarely stertorous. Commissions
occur, though rarely. No special symp-
toms seem to bear marked relation 10
the ultimate event; Cor very many cases
get well when the pupils are much dila-
ted, the coma profound and the pulse im>
perceptible. If the stage of upor be
completely overcome, the subject generally
reeovers with the headache, giddiness,
sickness, &C., consequent on a debauch
but in other cases the stupor gives way to
febrie state, with flushed face, REDEEMED
eyes, restlessness and delirium even yio-
lent or the symptoms may resemble those
of a slight attack of typhoid fever. Fa-
tai apoplexy may ensue either during the
alcoholic stupor, or after an interval of |
returning health. A lad aged l6, swallow
ed, for wager, sixteen ounces of whiskey |
in the course of ten minutes, and walked |
up and down room for half an hour
He then went into the open air, apparently
not at all the worse for his feat, and claimed
to be the winner but while he was giving
change for note, death stepped in and
swept the stakes Insensibility came on
SO suddenly that he forgot to withdraw his
hand from his pocket, and l6 hours later
all signs of life were gone.
This is an example of alcoholism in the
third degree. There is-seldom much pre-
Iiminary excitement when great deal of
liquor is swallowed at once and undiluted.
In the consequent stupor the face is livid
or CHASTITY pale, breathing stertorous and
smelling of the liquor; pupils either much
contracted or dilated and insensibe The
patient may recover if the iris remains
contractile, but has very little chance if it
remain dilated on approaching the light.
Sometimes, though rarely, the stupor is
accompanied with convulsions, in which
the body stifens into an arch, either back
wards or forwards.
Inflammation Of the stomach and bowels
occasionally succeed to the narcotic action
of alcohol.
Case.-A young man had been drinking
brandy frequently for several days, when
at length he was attacked with shivering,
nausea, feverishness, pain in the stomach,
vomiting of everything he swallowed ex-
cept cold water, thirst. and at last hiccough,
delirium, jaundice and commissions. He
died on the ninth day. The stomach was
gangrenous over the whole inner coat, CO.
lon much infamed, and the small intestines
red.
EXPERIMENTS ON AN1MALs
HUss and DAHLsTRoM administered
daily to three dogs, of various ages, but Of
nearl ly equal size, six ounces of Swedish
brandy. Intoxication, ravenous appetite,
and intense thirst were occasioned by each
dose during the first three months, but they
continued fat and apparently well. In the
fourth month the bark of the animals be-
came hoarse. They had hoarse dry bic.
cough. The eyes were starting and full OF
tears, hearing was very much diminished
and their sleep became restless, with fire.
quent twitching of the muscles and limbs
After the fourth month, the dogs trembed
when they attempted to stand their walk
was shutting, and there was evident weak
ness, especially in the hind legs; so 1ha
they often remained in a sitting posture
while taking food. Cramps and convul-
s;on next appeared in the limbs and trunk
both during sleep and when the animals
were awake and lying on their sides. The
sight of other dogs however, reused them
at all times from their apathetic condition
and they endeavoured, in their weakened
state, to attack and bite them. They go
weaker and weaker T; the skin, especially
Of the ears, became insensible; the appetit,
fell off rapidly; but the irritability toward
other dogs continued undated to the last
The deposit of fat rather increased. They
all died in the eighth month.
EFFECTS IF THE SKIN.
Among the most common chronic effect
of alcohol on the nerves of sensation, i
the feeling as if ants were running in o
under the skin, generally attended witt
restlessness and continued movement G
the limbs affected, feeting sensations c
drawing or piercing affect the legs an
feet, the sensibility is painfully increased
with neuralgia tearings, when diminishe
even to entire loss Of feeling, noticed frs
in the tips of the toes, then in those c
the fingers, finally extending over the bac
Of the foot to the leg, or to the back of th
hands.
In the earlier stages of drinking, th
skin is soft, velvety and much disposed t
perspire; gradually this changes, and fna
ly it becomes dry, rigid, thick, dirty {
yellowish grey, and variety Of eruption
are apt to break out The veins of th
legs swell, and ulcers, provoked by slgl
injuries, heal with extreme difficulty.
soft, greyish white fat deposited beneat
the skin, between the muscles, and upo
the abdominal membranes this is re-at
sorbed in the last stages of chronic ac'
holism, and then we find tlly-like ma
under the skin, followed by drospsieal swel
ing, or else excessive emaciation.
, CHANGES IN THE BLOOD.
When alcohol is added to blood fresh
drawn, and observed under microscop
) we see the blood globules gradually 10
: their red coloring matter containing iro
which dissolves and is diffused through tt
: watery part or serum, communicating
: it cherry red color. This serum coagI
: lates to the consistence cf thick milk, b
. cannot form solid clots, and no waite
parts separate from it. Such is the bio,
/, of topers-thick but fluid, coagulatil
: loosely, containing little fibre, but mu
g fat and albumen. By chemical analy'
# Leeanu found the fat increased as much
: eleven per cent. The blood has mil
e or curdy aspect Scharlau estimates t
It excess Of carbon in blood drawn frc