The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-06-03
For the Palladium.

For the PALLADIUM.
DR.. Hammond and Alcohol.
In the indianapolis Journal, few
days ago; appeared {.- IN extract ffem q
lsetura delivered before tie Neuro- 1
logical Society of New York, on aleo-
hol, by DR.. Hammond. The learned
Doctor contends that ut is food
it takes the place of food-and the 4
weight Of the hody increases under its
use. In one part of his learned essay
he says alcohol when pure is a.vio-
lent poison" To non-rrolessionsl
minds We must confess We cannot un-
derktand hoS5hat cap bes feod which
is violent poison. Food sustains life,
whereas poison destroys life. &9I
Dr. Hammond argues that alcohol
| arrests the waste of tissue. Dr. Mil
teier Of Edinburgs also DIR. Markham.
agree very decidedly that alcohol
does not prevent HE wear and tear Of
the tissues Who shall decide when
doctors disagree?
But If alcohol does arrest tissue, we
would like't know how II can be ben
cfcial to the systcm2 We have al
ways understood. that the waste Of It's
sue is necessary toEits renewal, and
without such renewal, there is death.
and not life; so that if alcohol does
arrest the process of natural waste. it
must SO far act in opposition to the
laws of life. DR., King Chambers says.
fThc most active renewal Of the body
possible is health: the cessation of
renewal is drath-thsarrest of renew
taf1s disease"
| DIR. Hammond says alcohol takes
the place Of food. Ifalcohol arrests"
4 the netamorphosis of tissue. and food
contributes to the ,metamorplosis of
tissue, how can alcohol-take the place
of food? Surely the Doctor must be
seeing through glass darby! But
the learned Doctor, in order to main
;, tain bis position that alcohol is food.
says its use increases the weight Of the
body. In this he COPIES from DR..
Moleschatt. j.
The unfortunate phrase of Dr.
Moleschatt, that alcohol is "a love of
saving" has done much to popalariz.>
the notion that in some mysterious
way alcohol both saves tissue-~hich'
Is only, possible by lowering vital tone.
| while it develops physical energy =
which is only possible by facilitating
the more rapid conversion of tissue.
Some experiments showing an in
crease of weight, while alcohol has
been used. as compared with periods
of abstention, have been cited in evil
dencc, of the savings" theory. But
what really happens seem, to be this:
That Ia small and less frequent doses
wben. the irritant ACTION of alcohol
z pred ominates, there Is. no diminutiors
! OF the waste process, while in cases
where larger OF more frequent doses
have seriously weakened the principal
; organs, the natural waste process l.,
! in;efered with, thereby aggravating
! the diseased bodily condition of which
, it is leading symptom. A free use
> Of alcohol undoubtedly causes. an ac-
. emulation OF waste matter in the
!; blood. but such an internal canserva
q ton of animal rubbish is anything but
!, conservative of corporeal health anu
q vigor. 80 ffE&<
u DR.. Hammond then tries to justiI,
y the moderate use OF intoxicants be-
g cause I'VE are moi living in state o
= nature"-because I'VE are all more ol
le less overworked by causes gradual,
10 wearing away our strength. And so
:, in order. to compensate for this-ov
~ work, we must use an artificial stimu
I. lus to. whip up and goad the system t,
y further extraordinary exertion. Thi
" is a novel way of restoring the extra
~ ordinary waste of strength! Witt
70 just as much propriety might he argu
~ that the horse is not living in a stat
er OF nature when he is worked an,
~ 30, because of that. use the whip +
3 goad him on to further extraordina
NJ ~ exertiOn! 44alls-4ot 80 -
+ DR.. B. W.. Richardson in his At
d report to the British Association 10
tuC AuVuuCCtuCIt VI CCfCUCc, says
OF "'All alcoholic bodis are depressants
2. and although at first, by their calm
nc nc injuriously into play the natural force
~ they seem to excite, and are therefor
70 called stimulants, they themselves SUP
IT. ply no 1orce at any time. but take u
Is force, by which means they lead t
ae exhaustion and paralysis of power.
~ "The evidence is all perfect that alec
10 hol gives no potential power to brai
ls OF muscle. A fire makes a hrilliar
sight but it leaves dessolation, an
ne thus with alcohol" '-9-'s g.
ns Nice stuff, indeed, is alcohol for a
. overworked person to drink model
.re ately to build up his system! TT
-, again, Doctor, try again!
;sss A SEEKER AFTER Truth.
or The shameless District ring yow
IN ho1i1v al fha na,veron arc ,,,,hl;aho