New-York tribune., 1874-05-05
THE DISCUSSION.
prMARKs OF DIR. WILLARD PARKER.

the delivery OF the essay, invited by Dr. Hammond
to give his views upon the subject discussed anu ie
sponded as follows:
should not be willing to take up much OF the time
OF the Society, and should simply say l am very
bappy OF this opportunity of being present. | have
heard the address yourself with very great pleasure
and in most points should agree with you, though IN
some points should differ. There is one point am ex
tremey glad brought up before THIS Assoeauoh'
I do not propose to speak evil OF this mat
ter Of Temperance. There are many men OF
many minds, and many women, too. we Will
simply let them have their way. The Temperance
movement OF the last half century has undoubtedly
accomplished great deal Its purpose has Deen 10 ac
then thew have intended to influence legislation 10
certain extent I say nothing about that; ethef as
the public mind to-day so important as that that
OF the OF alcohol not only in our own country put
IN ali countries In the northern regions we find more
of the stronger distilled liquors used thah lh tne & 0w
lattudes. There OF course they are usg tneir 'iss
drinking The true standpoint appears TO De; Tst
What acohol fully concur MIN You non s 70 b snec
besides yourself, and all seem to have arrived a' ''
But because it is a poison gives license to
say that may not be used with the opposite eHect az
enes we have but the advantage or disadvantage
OF every shop here or IN Brooklyn praccns TINS
question: and we will leave that for the present Ihe
Important point here is the scientific aspect ana that's
the stand our professional brethren should take;
The question have to decide Is, first, what IS al
coho a. and then the great question IN the second
does II do TO you or me ~ Not the kind OF fancy
which it makes us kick up Ihat Is another thlng
That what they have been king about III inc TEMPER
ance societies for half century or more IL mas peen
sort Of parade-ground Where hese peoPe hnNe uis
played themselves But it has no scenhc feature IN ~
aud does not belong to US Inc point Is az 70 agono
Its use and what II does to the individual an not
prepared 10 agree entlrey 10 Tue pioposi@,ion @
you advocate so stronsy 1Gat aiGInoi pro
and / understood you to say you did not account
for it, simply assumed 1t does IT, It may do ana IL
ain not prepared 10 say shall not assent NY views
have greatly changed OF late years IN regard to TINS mat
finc HIir d y an exceadnSv bad subject to manage
one OF our questions is what knd of constitution
does the individual bring 10 us ana we recognize II nc
Is topper, that he Is bad subject
DR. Ianmond--If you can treat them as soldiers and
lunatcs think you can cure them. don't say that
chrome alcoholism is absolutely ncufable. say the
iucbriate asylums VIII not cure them Ihat Is
according TO my experience. , -. 49,, ,
great instructors. nnd there three classes OF
meDHyonng men or the heads OF families, who nave
social feeling, aud by that have got TO certain
will power is gone There il another class where II
is inherited and who have their it's once a month. or
strain them. | have known 1t TO come on from
the inaiyidnas going into AN an n op
we have third class. many OF them raised IN our
cities the children Of those who have suddenly come UP
TO wealth and whose children have no true education;
who feel that having money they must get the worth OF
it, The only thing that be them IS TO have
place for ncurables and place them there IN order to
protect their famll ana friends.
REMARAs OF DIR. J. c. PETERS.
DR.. J. c. Peters-I have but few remarks to make.
have paid but little attention the subject OF late;
80 years ago-in 1871 made many post stmOrtenS on the
cadums of drunkards, and many Of those was
surprised find the small amount Of injury done TO the
stomach where alcohol had not been used
in large quantities. but when taken TO excess the APP
pearance certainly as great as nat referred to
by DR.. Lecute as beng hemorrlagc. The amount
of hemOrrhage found in the nucus membrane
extensive, and the injury, was very great.
can compare effect of alcohol in larger quantities
upon the stomach very little short of corrosive
poison The shock is almost equal to that OF surgical
IN the course OF n very few hours; and | pre-.
slme that shock falls upon the great solar nexes
Of be stomach itself is very great We can tud small
quantity OF alcohol In the dett0neum: we VIII not nd
It lower down in the bowels as it Is absorbed very
rapidly through the stomach i'll the blood. That. or
ExperimeDts MIR President, similar TO those which
you have performed in wuch alcohol has been detected
IN the gram, Numerous. Chrstison and others have
extracted a quantity of alcohol sufficient TO be
burned as we burn il usually in lamp. |
might say few words upon the point which
You have especially noticed IN connection with your
account Of my exnerments namely, The great hrmness
OF the brain of one who has used alcohol to excess 1t
was a fact which struck me very forcbly. We know
alcohol will coagulate albumen. The brain substance
composed III great degree OF abuminous substances,
and is the great affinity of alcohol tor the abumen
which, presume, s the grand why the brain Is
often found in tins hardened condition. We
that it stimulates the stomach and improves Digestion
Ii Will increase the quantity of the gasrle juice which 10
thrown OUT and tins operation Of the stlnuIant VIII
help many weak stomach 10 digest food which would
otherwise lie in uudicested Alcohol IN excess
the pepsin 10 be precIptaed and digestion IA
stopped. have been exceeding cautious in advising
alcohol TO any sick person. especially in the case OF
fearful Of establishing habit for 1t; hut
when do prescribe IT, IL Is for the pur-
pose Of food. / never allow alcohol TO he taken
on empty stomach under any circumstances.
l prescribe 1T in fixed quantities, as Iwoud arsenic,
aud hen work dnrned order 1t stopped, do
any other medicine after It has accomplished TIE GiJect
also, at the time speak OF, =. years y.. ago.
diseases in drunken persons, and those who dcd nom
an excess We use alcohol and for twelve years
nave never prescribed for cODsumptye persons
leave entirely TO himself II there was any heata-
alcohol in this disease has gradually worked s way
into the prOfe until WHISTLES and spirits OF all
riees almost an established treatment IN diseases oi
ia tubercular character
REMARKS OF DIR. MEREDITH CLYMER.
Dr. Meredith Clymer, President OF the Neurological
Flectroogcal Society, who was present by invitation,
said: Dr. Parker put this question. What becomes
Of the portion OF the alcohol retained the system I"
IN view OF recent experiments showing that portion
NJ the alcohol taken into the system passes out and
portion remains In. Now, that question Is connected
WIN the question of food Ins II interesting subject
10 us all Dr. Hammond stated that be could not
explain IT, and II seems 10 me that these experiments
are decidedly In opposition 10 the Conclusion
iaied: aud yet we ind by these novel and admirable
rxnerments which DR.. Hammond has shown III that
AFTER a certain time IL Is retained Ia the tissues
l only Wish these experiments had gone further
and that he had submitted 10 the same tests
the other Organisms OF the 6ody-thc stomach, liver
&c.-and am quite confident hc would have
found the same results-that they would have
appeared In those tissues just the same as
in the brain. The experiments OF great
value particularly In regard 10 these hemorrhages-
OF the most common Of post morem results What have
these observations OF oseolOgy shown; that the nor
tion Of alcohol retained IN the system acs directly upon
the nerve tissues. and upon what tssuesi Fist
tissue gradually substituted Tor the healthy tissue We