The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-06-04
AIooho1 Poison?

The Neurological Society Of New York
has under consideration the question, us
Alohol poison 2" At its last meeting, DR.. /
William A. Hammond, an authority on |
the subject, read paper on the effects OF
alcohol on the nervous system, IN which |
he said:
"Alcohol undoubtedly affects the sys-
TEN, through the blood. When pure 1t IS
a violent poison. When diluted It's ef- |
fects are not so rapid, but it produces in
toxicatien when enough Is taken. Before
intoxicatlon is reached, the nervous and
circulatory saystem become excited, the
mental faculties are more active, the heart
beats fuller and more rapidly, the lace De-
comes flushed, and the senses are rendered
more accute in their operation. II no
more alcohol is taken the organism soon
returns to its former condition, no feeling
of depression arising. If more is taken
pulsation marked by coma and abolition
of the powers of sensation and motion fol-
lows, There are other results. A certain
amount of tissue is decomposed with ev-
ery functional action of the organ to which
it belongs. New material is derived from
| food and force comes in its destruction.
/ 1t is often desirous to diminish the des-
| truction without lessening the force, or to
obtain great amount Of force in limited
period.
"This alcohol will do. One of the pro-
| ducts OF tissue metamorphoses Is carbonic
| acid. Alcohol lessons the production Of
| carbonic acid. From experiments made
upon myself 1 draw the inference that
when the system is supplied with album
dance of food, and there are no special
circumstances to make the use of alcohol
desirable, it should not be used as a beye-
Il Tl..A -r.1k =
not a food? 1t takes the place of food,
and the weight of the body increases under
it. That is to be essentially food, al
though absolute conversion into tissue Is
not demonstrable as yet. As alcohol stops
the full tide of decay it must furnish the
force which is developed under its use
How, is not clear 1t does not enter the
blood and permeate the tissues"
The Doctor then proceeded TO give the
details of q series of "exact experiments
made by HIM in 1859, and to describe the
results, and the action cf alcohol. admins
tered and taken in Varing quantities upor
the nervous systems of men and animals
In conclusion he said
"With reference to the moderate use o
! alcoholic liquors, it must be remembered
that we are not living in a state of nature
I We are all more or less overworked BY
causes which gradually wear away oul
strength. Honors and wealth are rarely
got honestly except by hard work, an'
when alnan finds that the wear and tea
1 of life are met by glass of wine at Dime
why should he not take it 1t should be
g remembered that his example is goo
o one if he uses alcoholic liquors in modera
ton. And why should he shorten his lif
q by total abstinence to set an example to
:, man who probably would not heed 1T an
: who, if he did is of less value to society
e The appetite for intoxicating stimulant
e is one no human power can subdue. Q
Il FIVE hundred thousand men who have ia
$ ken the pledge in the United States, say
6 DR.. Chambers, on the authority of tn
e Band Of Hope ReUieU, three hundre
e and fifty thousand have broken it. Hav
e the same proportion ever broken vows c
= christity or any other solemn obligation
e If We cannot overcome the instinct let u
Il regulate it by discriminating legislation
y favor of wines and beer, vineyards an
n hopyards. Experience has also show
that prohibition stimulates the use {
opium and Indian hemp, even more dele
ferrous than alcohol"