New-York tribune., 1874-05-05

and less fatgued than he has been before, when his
ws a1Gsa & thai e e has but h a"
He repeats his experiment the next day nNS res Snds
follow and TnSn 0s ns weSf The ns Inference there
fore, is that the beverage he mas noioed ued
has itself aided in supplying the material for the deyel
opment force he has expended In ms abor NOV"
il may be supposed that this is altogether fancy pic
ture based only upon assumption like TOO many DINERS
which encunber science. In science however, We uo
eve nothing which not ana even ansh
ing that il tomorrow new facts ar are brought ld
which appear 70 es ana when are Of greater
weight the hypothesis shall be abandoned without hes
10 support the view that alcohol retards the destrue
ton OF tissues and supplies material Tor the genera
non of force one Of the products of tissue metamor
nboss is crbonic acid Many years ago Dr. Prout ascer
taned that after the Of alcohol the amount OF car
bonic acid excreted by the lungs was re-
have arrived at similar conclusions and have EXTENDED
S 20 He SIr hat p the 81 Of Alcohol
not only the amount OF carbonc acid exhsed by the
lungs essened but there was very decided dlnnuto
IN the quantity OF urine eliminated and IN the amount OF
its solid constituents.
DIR. HAMMOND EXPERIMENTS ON HIMSELF
DESTROYS of asceraining the facts for myself nstl
tued series OF experiments calculated TO determine
the real value of alcohol aliment, or substitute
for aliment. Perceiving the difficulties attendant on
such Investigations when conducted on other persons,
performed these experiments myself They consisted
of three series:
First The influence OF alcohol when the food was Jast
sufficient for the wants OF the organism.
Second: When 1t was not sufficient.
THIRD: When il was more than sufficient.
-Four drachms of alcohol diluted with equal GUAM
tity OF water taken each meal. Not being an
habitual drnker OF alcoholic liquors IN any form, the
experiments were open TO objection that they
performed upon person hardened to the use OF
intoxicating beverages.
During the first series, when the food was OF such
character and quantity TO maintain the weight OF the
body at its normal standard found as the result OF ex
periments continued Tor i've days, during which time 90
drachms Of alcohol had been ta6en that the weight or
my body hadncreased 22640 ID TO 22685 b difference
OF 4 n In the period the amount OF carbOnic acld
and equeous yapOr exhaled from the lungs had under
| gone dminution, as had likewise the quantity OF
| urine. and its solid constituents.
While these experiments lasted nv general health was
disturbed, pulse increased to an aver
age OF 30 per minute, ana was fuller ana stronger a
usual and there was indsposton 10 exeron OF any
kind There was also headache and sensation of in
creased heat of the skin. Later experiments however,
show that alcohol does not actually increase the neat on
the body so that the sensation of heat present after its
use is one OF those abnormal manifestations OF nerve
action met with in several other conditions OF the
system.
Tue inference TO be drawn from these experiments
certainly is that where the system is supplied with an
abundance OF food and where there are no special CIR
cumsances existing which render the use of alcohol
advisable, It's employment as beverage is not TO he
commended But there are two facts which cannot be
set ASIDE ana these are that the OOdy gained III weht
and that the eXcretions diminished These phe-
nomena were doubtless owing to the following cause
First: Inc retardaon OF the decay OF the tissues sec
ond; The dimlnutOn III the consumption OF tne rat OF
powers of the system by which the food was more com
petey appropriated and applied 10 the formation OF
tissue The quasi morbid results which fo0Wedafe Just
such as would have ensued upon the use OF An excessive
amount OF food or the omission or physical exercise
when the body has become habtuated to its use II l
had increased the OF taken there is no
doubt there would not have been the undue excitement
OF the circuatoIy and nervous systems that was mani
| tested.
Tie truth OF these propositions is demonstrated by
the second series of nyestlgatiOns during which the
fO0d ngested was such as had previously
involved decrease in the weight OF the body OF
only this loss overcome, but there average
increase OF O3 Of pound daily. The effects upon the
exertions were similar TO those which ensued III the
| course OF the experiments of the first series
But, unlike the first series, abnormal results were
produced in the general working OF the organism Dl-
| gestiOn was well performed, the mind was clear ana
active, and there was no excitement OF the circulating
body appeared TO with energy and efficiency II Is
in similar cases. therefore, tna the proper use of alco-
food is not such as to admit the due performance Of
such physical mental labor may he necessary or
(whst amounts to the thing wnen the digestion
or assimilation functions are not so eHlclehy per
sGacent quantity Of the food 1ngested to
In the third set Of experiments in which more food
taken than necessary the i'll effects OF the aco-
hol well marked. Headache was constantly pres
en the sleep was disturbed pulse increased III
frequency and force, and there general feeling or
platdiri sure that had the experiments OF tins
been continued should have been made seriously
! ~ Notwithstanding all these abnormal phenomena,
the body continued to increase in weight above the ratio
| which existed before the alcohol taken, and the
exeretions diminished in quantity After such re-
If it food what is i We have that 1t takes
the place OF food, and that the weight OF the body in
the effects which have to attend the use OF
alcohol is essentially food. even though it is not demon
If alcohol is not entitled TO this rank many sub
CORY OF ailments must be degraded from their positions
A COMPARISON BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND ORDINARY
FOOD.
Alcohol retards the destruction Of the tissues BY this
destruction force is generated, muscles contract,
thoughts developed, organs secrete and excrete
Food supplies the material for tissue. Now, alcO-
frli of is
that 1t furnish the force which is developed under
its How 1t does this Is not clear But 1t is not clear
how piece of iron defects magnetic needle when held
on the opposite side or stone wall or 1eather ped
Both circumstances ultimate facts which for the
present least must satisfy That alcohol enters the
food and permeates all the tissues is satisfactorily
proven. Laemand PeIon and DurOy contend that II is
excreted from the system unaltered. III this were
of all the alcohol ingested, its action would be
limited TO its effects upon the nervous system produced
by actual contact with the nervous tissues but there is no
suppose that all the alcohol taken into the
system thus excreted from the body than there is for
innroahie thaS alcohol itsef fnrnishes the force
directly by entering into combination with the first pro-
ducts of tissue decay, whereby they are again assn-
Hated without being excleted as urea, uric acid &c.
Many Of these bodies highly ntrogenous, and
certain circumstances might yield their nitrogen to the
construction of new tissue Upon this hypothesis, and
upon this alone far can perceive, can be
ced the facts that Of force and dimnu-
on the products OF the decay of tissue attend upon
With these imperfect remarks relative to the general
influence of alcohol upon the body proceed the con
sderation of the special subject of inquiry the effects
upon the STEM The general action of large
dose is shown In the following experiment.
EXPERIMENTS on DOGS.
introduced into the stomach of large dog ounce
of alcohol diluted before. Nothing occurred worthy
of notice during the first few minutes Then the heart
was accelerated, also the respiration, and the
pupils became contracted. sensbilty andthe power Of
motion were unaffected. In twelve minutes the gait OF
the animal became uncertain the limbs were lifted
higher tnan was natural, ana the body swayed
from side to side, and occasionally strong
efforts had TO be made to maintain the erect
position. The pupils were still contracted. and
sensiby appeared 10 be intact This condition lasted
% minutes, and then the pupils began to dIlate The