River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-08-26
Ac,iou or Alcohol.

the Medical Union upon the action Of
alcohol, in summary as follows:
|. In external wounds, and in in
ternal diseases where alcohol acts bene-
ticially, the good result is, in part at
least, due to the alcohol checking the
increased action already established.
2. Alcohol does not act as food il
does not nourish TISSUES. 1t may d.
minish waste by altering the consist
ence and chemical properties of fluids
and solids. II cuts short the life of
rapidly-growing bioplasm, or causes it
to live more slowly, and thus tends to
cause 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-
CURED will depend upon the extent to
which the changes alluded to have
proceeded. In extreme cases half an
ounce of brandy, or even more, may
be given for time Tin some cases even
for several days. every half hour; and
there is reason to believe that in des-
perate cases life is sometimes saved by
this treatment.
Practical conclusions: Lastly,
shall venture to repeat here the con-
illusions arrived at many years ago
concerning the great value OF the alco-
hol treatment of low levers and infam-
nations. Increased experience has
afforded further confirmation of the
correctness of the statements made in
the paragraph below. do not, of
course, refer to slight cases of fever.
pneumonia, etc, in which no stimulant
whatever may be required, but to very
severe cases OF disease only.
/. 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 hour 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 intoucation,
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, coma.
plicated with pericarditis with effusion,
pneumonia at the base of one lung and
pleurisy on the opposite side, has taken
twenty-four ounces of brandy a day
for eleven days, the tongue being moist
and the mind calm during the whole
time. While under this treatment
inhammatory products were absorbed,
and the general state of the patient
much improved.
3. have been compelled to give
weak child, weighing less than four
stone, twelve ounces of brandy a day
for ten days, while suffering from acute
rheumatism, with pericarditis and eff
fusion. This quantity did notproduce
the slightest tendency TO intoxication,
or exert other than a favorable effect
upon the disease. The patient did not
begin to improve until the quantity of
brandy, gradually increased, had reach
ed the amount stated.
4. | would state that among the gen.
eral conclusions have reached, after
carefully watching more than one hun.
dred cases of acute disease treated with
large quantities of stimulants, are the
following: That intoxication is not
piuouCtuf hhuh htitIluHl, IL III mas
occurred, ceases, or is prevented from
occurring at all in the course of the
case that headache is not occasioned /.
that the action Of the skin, kidneys and
bowels goes ON freely; that the tongue
remains moist, or, il dry and brown,
often becomes moist; that the pulse
falls in frequency and increases in force;
that respiration is not impeded, but
that, where even one entire lung is
! bepAtized, the distress of breathing is
not increased, and it appears that the
respiratory changes go on under the
disadvantageous circumstances present
as well as if no alcohol had been. given.
The conclusion from all this is, most
certainly, that alcohol does not do
harm in fevers and acute infammations;
that it does not produce intoxication in
the persons suffering from exhausting
diseases; and that large quantities
(from twelve to thirty ounces) may be-
given in cases which appear very un-
likely to recover, and sometimes the
patient will be saved. The conviction
is forced upon the observer that in des-
perate cases these large quantities of
alcohol are directly instrumental in
saving life, not by exciting or stimu>
lating TO increased action, but by mod
Grating actions already excessive, and
at the same time by causing rlie heart
to contract more vigorously, and so
continue TO drive the blood through
the impeded capillaries."