Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-08-21
Action OF Alcohol.

Action or Alcohol.
DR.. Lionial s. Bealo is quoted by
tho Medical Union upon the action of
in summary rs follows:
l. In external wounds, and in in
tcrnal diseases where alcohol acts bene-
ticially, tho good result is, in part ut
lenst, dno to tho alcohol checking tho
increased action already established.
2. Alcohol does not act as food; it
does not nourish tissues. 1t may di-
minish waste by altering tho consist
ence and chemical properties of finds
and solids. 1t cuts short the life of
bioplasm, or causes it
to live more slowly, and thus tends to
cause u diseased texture, in which vital
changes are abnormally active, to re.
turn to its normal and much less active
condition
3. In 'exhausting' diseases alcohol
seems to act partly by diminishing
very rapidly the abnormallv increased
growth of bioplasm. The quantity re-
0uired will depend upon the extent to
which tho changes alluded to have
proceeded. In extreme cases half an
ounce of brandy, or even more, may
be given for time lin some cases even
for several days. every half hour; and
there is reason to believe that in des
pcrate cases life is sometimes saved by
this treatment.
Practical conclusions: Lastly, I
shall venture to repeat here the con-
illusions arrived Mt many years ago
concerning the great value of the alco-
mol treatment of low fevers and intlam-
nations. Increased experience has
afforded further confirmation Of the
correctness of tho statements made in
the paragraph below. do not, of
course, refer to slight cases of fever,
pneumonia, etc, in which no stimulant
whatever may he required, but to very
severe cases Of disease only.
l. In what appeared hopeless cases.
as much brady rs the patient could be
made to swallow IAN ounce and half
to two ounces in an h0ur) has been
given for several hours in succession,
and then as much as thirty ounces q
day for several days, not only without
producing the slightest intoxcation,
vomiting or headache, but the treat
ment has been followed by recovery.
2. would adduce the test that a
man not accustomed to drink, when
suffering from acute rheumatism, com
plicated with pericarditis with ehusion,
pneumonia at the base of one lung and
plerrisy Oh the opposite side, has taken
twenty-four ounces of brandy day
for eleven days, the tongue being moist
| and the mind calm during the whole
time. While under this treatment
inaammatory products were absorbed,
and the general state of the patient
much improved.
| 8. have been compelled to give q
weak child, weighing less than four
stone, twelve ounces of brandy day
for ten days, while suffering from acute
rheumatism, with pericarditis and eff
fusion. This quantity did not produce
the slightest tendency to intoxication,
or exert other than favorable effect
upon the disease. The patient did not
begin to improve until the quantity oil
brandy, gradually increased, had reach.
cd the amount stated.
4. I would state that among the gen.
sral conclusions I have reached, after
carefully watching more than one hun.
bred cases of acute disease treated with
large quantities of stimulants, are the
following: That intoxication is no
produced; that delirium, if it ha'
occurred, ceases, or is prevented from
occurring at all in the course of til,
case; that headache is not occasioned
that the action CT the skin, kidneys ant
bowels goes on freely; that the tongue
remains moist, or, if dry and brown
often becomes moist that the puls'
falls in frequency and increases in force
that respiration is not impeded, bu
that, where even one entire lung il
, hepatized, the distress Of breathing i
/ not increased, and it appears that tn
respiratory changes go on under til
, disadvantageous circumstances presen
! us we'll as if no alcohol had been given
The conclusion from all this is, mos
! certainly, that alcohol does not d
harm in fevers and acute infammationt
that it does not produce intoxication i
the persons suffering from exhaustin
diseases; and that large quantitie
l (from twelve to thirty ounces) may
. given in cases which appear very ur
likely to recover, and sometimes til
, patient will be saved. The, convictio
Z is forced upon the observer that in de.
! perate cases these large quantities {
: alcohol are directly instrumental i
4 saving life, not by exciting or stint
lating to increased action, but by moo
9 Grating actions already excessive, an
, , at the same time by causing the hear
:; to contract more vigorously, and s
! continue to drive the blood throug
4 the impeded capillaries."