The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-12-23

Douy. he reproduceS the remark
of Liebermeister that increase IN
the frequency of the respiratory
movements, whether accompanied
by normal or by increased depth,
exerts no remarkable influence on
temperature" This, as / have
long ago shown, because the blood
can only absorb a fixed quantity oil
oxygen. Professor BInz candi6Iy
admits that he started with the
conviction that the stimulatory IN
fuence of alcohol was as indubita.
bic on the vital properties of the
Juices as on the nervous system,
but the results of our experiments
were not in accordance with this
vlew." He demonstrates the folly
of giving alcohol in iEfiammatory
conditions, by reminding us that
"puS probably originates n the ras-
sage of the moderately enlarged
white cells through the relaxed
walls of the dilated blood vessel
witch condition of nom tonici:y Is
favored by the use of strong
drink. "Alcohol induces dllation
ofthe capillaries of various regions
of the body, but especially those OF
the head" Hence, its fixed ten
dency to promote apoplexv, and
sun stroke-diseases unknown to
water drinking nstions.
Second. We have the careful ex-
perIments of Prof. Parkes, N. D., of
the Army Medical College, Eng
land), and Count Cyprian Wollo-
wIez, assistant surgeon on the army
medical staff, on the general effects
of alcohol on the human body
The reports of these experiments
have just been published IN the pro-
ceedlngs of the Royal Society. The
subject of the trial was a finely
formed, healthy soldier, aged %
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 in
elusive, he took diluted rectifed
spirits. On the first day, 1 OF , on
the second day, 2 OF on the third
day, 4 OF ; on the fifth and sixth
DAYS, 8 OF.
Fur another six days he resumed
the normal beverage of water only /;
then for three days took half a bot-
tie of fine brandy (52 parts per 100
being water equal to 8 OF. alcohol.
He finished the experiments by re-
turning 10 water, pure and SIM
pie.
The facts admitted to be estab-
lished by the experiments OF this
man arc as follows
1. That a little alcohol did not
promote primary digestion, while
four ounces per day lessons appetite
considerably, and the larger quant-
titles entirely destroyed 1t,
2. "Alcohol neither saved the
tissues nor exhausted them"-a
fact that gives the coup to a foolish
theory. once very prevalent, and is
in apparent conflict with the expe-
riments of DR.. King Chambers, of
which some contemporaries writ
ers have striven 10 mako some
thing.
8. That alcohol was not necess4
airy TO enable this healthy man to
perform regularly every vital tunc-
ton.
rrta. o-on /, o,ro ~ oloo
hol spread over the twenty>four
hours produced a decided effect on
his heart, not necessary to health, a
continuance OF which would per-
haps have ultimately led TO distur-
Dances of the circulation and to de.
generation of tissues. 1t was not
found in this case that the alcohol
cooled the blood or warmed 1t.
5. That excess for this man
would be anything beyond two OF.
a day, while moderation would be
something under. On this conclu
sion, we observe that a fourth part
of this supposed neutral quality
might be senslbly injurious to a
weaker OF more susceptible per-
son.
6. That after the first reaction
from the use Of alcohol had ceased,
"the heat shoWed unusual f~eebleneSs,"
proving shat some disease of the
heart CT vessels would eventually
follow the over action produced by
large doses of alcohol" (Here let
it be noted, however, that the very
smallest dose given produced corr
responding abnormal action The
truth of the waste of mechanical
and vital power is well put in the
last of the conclusions.
z. That during the period this
soldier was taking the more moder-
ate doses of alcohol the heart did an
excess of daily work equal to lift
ing fifteen tons one foot ; and when
taking eight ounces q day, the ex>
cess of heart work was equal to lfs-
ing twenty-foIr tors, AS the whole
heart work in health Is equal to 122
foot tons, it is now clear that to
compel the heart to do from a sew
enIh to a fifth of extra work is to
subject the constitution TO a terrific
dram, and to rob the voluntary
powers of man of so much available
energy for the ends ofpersonal, ma
terial, and national progress, since
the force which is used for expell-
ing a foreign substance Is necessar-
;ly lost for the higher and truer
ends of work and thought.
This ~narIonal loss of power is,
perhaps, the greatest of all the evils
associated with the use of alcoholic
drinks, since 1t IS not only, on the
whole, a certain loss of one fourth
OF the voluntary talents entrusted
by Providence to our use, but it is
the disturbance aud perUerSion of.
much of the remaining power.
The moral of the experiments is
thus stated by the experiments
themselves
HIn sDite of our preyious exDer-