The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-10-28
Account of New Experiments
ON Alcohol.
BY DR.. F. B. LEES, OF ENGLAND.

hol was consumed in the body, bur
naively confesslng whether bene'
fcially or otherwise must remain
for future research to determine
Experiments have not yet discov,
ed the supposed derivatives of al
cohol, but they have done some
thing to settle the question of bant
or benefit. The two sets of recent
EXPERIMENTS of primest importance
may be here summarized /:
FIRST, those OF Professor C. Binz
of the University of Bonn, TO ascor-
tam the effect of alcohol on the
temperature of the blood, and its
influence on the circulation. Fer
ty>nine experiments were made on
men and dogs with a Uniform re-
suit. In nc instance was the temp
erature raised, but in every instance
lowered.
In experiments on man, "half a
glass of hook, or a small glass of
cognac, caused a fall of from 004 to
006 in IA very. short time" In the
case of a dog made "lIvely" with
drink, and Having a very strong
odOr of ALCOHOL from half past
twelve to FIVE o'clock, the pulse rose
from los to lis, and then declined
to ll3, while the temperature sank
from 1926 TO 1923 Prof. Blnz eon-
cludes that, in all cases, brandy
cools down the temperature of the
body. He rcproduccs the remark
of LIebcrmeistcr that increase in
the frequency of respiratory moves
ments, whether accompanied by
normal or increased depth, exerts
no remarkable influence on temps
~erature." This, as l have long ago
shown, because the blood can only
absorb a fixed quantity of oxygen.
Prof. BInz candidly admits that he
8 started with the conviction that
the stimulating influence of alcohol
vas indubtable on the vital proper
ties of the juice as on the nervous
system, but the results of our ex-
perimenLs were not In accordance
with this view" He demonstrates
the folly of giving alcohol in ins
fammatory conditions, by remind
ing US that "pus probably originates
in the passage of the moderately
enlarged white cells, through the
relaxed walls of the dilated blood
vessel" which condition of r0n-tO>
nicity is favored by the use of strong
drink. "Alcohol induces dlIation
of the caplllaries Of various regions
of the body, but especially those of
the head" Hence its fixed tenden-
cy to promote apoplexy and sun
stroke--diseases unknown to water
drinking nations.
Second, we have the careful ex-
periments of Professor Parkes. NJ.
D., of the Army Medical College,
and Coun: Cyprian Wollowicz, as
sistant surgeon en- the army medI-
cal staff, on the general effects of
alcohol on the human body. The
report of these experiments has Just
been published in the proceedings
of the Royal Society. Lhe subject
Of the trial Was finely formed,
healthy soldier, aged twentyseight
years, whose solid diet for twenty
SIX days remained the same, and
who drank only water for the first
SIX days. Up to the twelfth day
inclusive, he took diluted rectified
On the first day, l OF on
the second day, 2 OF F; on the third,
4 oz on the fifth and sixth days, 81
&C. For another six days he resum-
ed the normal beverage 0 fwater on
ly ; then for three days took half a
OF fhe brandy, (52 parts per
100 being water.) equivalent to s
or. alcohol. lie finished the exper-
iment by returning to water, pure
and simple.
The facts admitted to be esUab-
by the experiments on this
man r the following
1. That a little alcohol did not
promote primary digestion, while
( ounces per day Iessened appetite
considerably, and The larger quan-
titles entirely destroyed 1t.
2. "Alcohol neither saved the it's
sues o exhausted them"--a fact
which gives the coap TO a foolish
once very prevalent, and is
IN apparent conflict with the exper-
Iments of DR.. King Chambers, of
some anti-Temperance wri-
ters have striven to make some
Nor did alcohol cool the
blood.
3. That alcohol was not necessa-
~ to enable this healthy man to
perform regularly every vital lunc-
lion.
4. That even 1 ounce of alcohol
over the "a hours produced
decided effect on his heart, not
necessary TO health, a continuance
which would perhaps have ulti-
led to disturbances of the
and to degeneratlons of
issues.
-. 1hdt cACe5c IOT luio man W. u
De anything beyond 2 ounces per
lay, while moderation would be
under. On this conclu-
jon, we observe that a fourth part
IF this supposed neutral quantity
be sensibly injurious to a
weaker or more susceptible person.
6. That after the first reaction
from the use Of alcohol had ceased,
the heart showed unusual feeble
ness" proving "that some disease
IF the heart or vessels would event
lally follow the overactIou Produc-
ID by large doses OF alcohol
Here let it be noted, however, that
he smallest dose given produced a
corresponding abnormal action.)--
The truth of the waste of mechani-
,al and vital power is well Put in
he last of the conclusions.
z. That during the period this
was taking the more moder>