New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-19

oreata where brandy had been taken. In tbia
emergency they were 50 fortunate as to discover
new and most delicate test. "a solution OF
blchrcmate of potass ia sulDbnrie aad.--a rod
iiquor winch is turned to an emerald green BY
the alcoholic vapOr of the expired air Toey
found that persons who had taken no alcohol for
some hours previously, might expire for INV
length of time through the solution without p,o.
ducng the least discoioratiOn Of IL; and further.
more, so exact was the reaction that. by empIv.
ing q test-liqad of certain known strength.
they could estimate the quantity of alcoholic
yapor given of in different experiments and al
different times. III this way they have proved
that alcohol unchanged = thrown from
the system BY tho three great routes
Of excretion, the lungs, skin, and &dneys sad
that it is expelled at decreasing rate after il
il taken. Thus, in one of the experiments,
man having taken at breakfast quart Of vine
containing ten per cent of alcohol, and his meal
having terminated at l05 q. M. his breath was
found at noon and at ?. M, 10 convert o cen
tiustrc of the tcstl liquid in tieo minutes; at 2
p. N. in four minutes; at P. m. in ten min.
utes; and at s P. n. in fifteen nlioutes while at
6 p. M, after fifteen minutes, the color was but
partially changed, and at p. M, no conversion
whatever took place. The same gradual diminu
ton vac observed ia tho. renal excretion. From
the results of these experiments, multiplied and
diyorsiiied the investigators conclude that hlco-
ho undergoes no coB5ustige action in the living
BODY, but that tie whole Of what is taken /,
thrown of unchanged. They admit they have not
been able 20 recover from the excret0ns the
whole amount taken, and justly state that in the
nature of tho case, this is not to be expected.
Their results show the important fact, that Il 10
not the mere excess of Alcohol which the system
cannot probably Use up that Is excreted; for
the npestion Of only one ordinary bottle of weak
wine gave rise to continued elimination oil
Alcohol by the lungs during eight hours, and by
the kidneys during fourteen hours.
A striking proof Of the length Of tint during
which alcohol remains unchanged IN tho system.
after being taken is considerable amount, IL Of
forded by the fact that it was found In a6und-
ance in the BRAIN liver, and blood OF vigorous
man who had died OF the remote results e' aico-
hoc poisoning, thirty-two hours after drinking
quart of brandy, notwithstanding the early I'D,
ramstration Of emetics and other remedies.
The great point established by this iuvestIga'
ton rs, that there is perfect fccordaoce be-
tween Alcohol and the anTsthetcs ia their &C
ton or behavior in the living system. when
Cbloroform is absorbed through the luags iote
tho blood, Ike Alcohol, it is withdrawn from the
l. -. hros. .rs1 Ifrap Ik
far the larger proportion entering the BRAN, ivar
times more Chloroiorm being found in the
cerebral substance than in an equal weight OF
blood The brain aud liver, moreover. seen 10
hold it more ,enaciOusly than the blood, az IS
could be detected in these organs after IL has
disappeared from the circulating fluid. So also
with Ether aud Amyene. They iasien upon the
brain by elective affinity aud Only release tho
system from their parayzing influence as they
gradually escape back unchanged into the AR
by expiration. The most volatile are got rid OF
the most rapidly by lung.exhalaiion More time
is required for the removal Of Alcohol from tbs
body partly through its Inferior volatility, parity
because it is soluble in water and the bodily du.
lds, but chiefly because 30 much larger a guam
tity is required 10 produce decided pererscn Of
the nervous functiohs--the duration of that per.
version being accordingly prolonged The im.
portant conclusions warranted By these researches
may be- best stated in the language Of Tie
Uestminster Rsrier
"The striking accordance which has thus been
shown TO exist in every fundamental particular between
Alcohol and the asihetics-the differences in their
behavior being only of secondary character andbeing
obviously referable TO their chemical and physical
properties-must surely be regarded as most srisngy
conrmatory of the position taken up BY the authors
this treatise in antagonsm to the Liebgsn doctrine
that alcohol is food. For there is not single point Of
difference in their actions which usy their being
placed in different categories. Their physiological
effects in large doses essentially tho Their
special affinity for the substance Of the brain and Of the
liver is mot striking poiut OF conformity. Whether
alcohol be taken into tho stomach or the vapor of cnio
reform or ether be inhaled through the lungs no sooner
has il been received into the circulating current than IL
Il treated as substance altogether foreign 10 the body
which is to be removed By the excre,ary organs az
rapidly az possible. Those organs continue to diminish
until the blood has been entirely freed from it, and
them but not ill then ia peryeing influence upon the
nervous functions ceases 10 be maniietsd There sno
more evidence of alcohol being utilized in the body
than there is in regard ether chlcroiorm. II al.
coho is to be still designated as food we must extend
the meaning Of that term to make IL comprehend
not only ether and choroform but all medicines and
poisons In fact everything which can DO swallowed" r
absorbed however foroisa il may be to the normal
constitution of the body and however injurious TO re
functions.
ION the other hand from no definition that can be
framed of POISON which should Include inose moro