Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1877-01-03
How Alcohol Intoxicates.


burg Review, is an exhaustive ant
carefully written prper upon 9Th,
Physiological Influence of Alcohol
1t is based upon the works published
in London: Alcohol, its action ane
its uses, by Benjamin w. Richardson
NJ. d., 1872; the origin, nature and
varieties of wine, by Drs J. L. Thud
icum and Augustave Dapre, 1872
and stimulants aud narcotics and
their medical relations, by Fran
els Eienstie, M. D., 1864. As is not
unfrequently in the articles in lead
ing reviews, the writer Drings to the
subject, knowledge drawn from other
sources. IL would be very good
idea in the publishers Of what are
known as temperance works to pro
duce this review in handy form,
and the more so, that it is calm and
scientific, not emotional, but crowd,
ed with facts and Information. Ii
would be in tercsting to everybody
who desires authentic Information
upon curious, and to most minds a
very complex subject. In the pres.
cnt article some of the most striking
points are presented, in language di-
vested as far as possible, of scientific
terms.
When a spirituous drink is taken
into the body it does not simply run
through the digestive cavity, but it
runs through the blood, before it can
find any escape, and it clings to that
blood for considerable period, flow.
ing with it, round and round. through
the circling stream of its unceasing
progress. 1t goes everywhere, in
each fiber, membrane and tissue, and
fills and saturates each vital organ
flesh, brain, heart, liver, lung, kid.
neys, skin and secreting apparatus.
Wherever there should be blood. un.
der the natural arrangements of life,
there is now blood mingled with the
alcoholic spirits.
Articles of food are complex bod.
les, built up from simpler elements by
the effort of vegetable life" Alcohol
is not such complex substance; (;
but 1t is "a product Of the downward
degradation and decay OF such q
complex principle. The food which
furnish substance TO the living struc.
ture is fnr the most part, composed
with nitrogen, and have therefore an
affinity with the vital parts Of the
human structure. The fibrin OF the
blood, the muscular flesh, the cartil-
ages and tendons, the membranes
and the skin, the soft nerve pulp,
and the brain are all so many exam.
plies of the nitrogenized matter. But
alcohol Is entirely devoid of nitrogen
in any form. In the exceptional
cases where alcohol has been found
useful as a medicine an unnatural
condition Of the body exists, and
physicians should determine when
stimulants as medicine, are necess-
airy. The parts of the body which
possess the most energetic vitality,
the brain, the nerves, and nervous
material OF the spinal cord, are prin.
cipally composed OF matter Of the
most pulpy consistcnce, so soft that
it may almost be termed melting.
This ncrye-pulp is packed into mi
mute pliny sacks and tubes describ.
able only by microscopic aid.
Through these tiny and almost irwin
sible films the blood Is FILTERED" I"
The ncrve.palp appropiatcs such
qualities OF the blood as nourish life
and build up the structure, and at the
same time reject and throw back in
To the stream their own wasted par
ticles. Large quantities Of water en-
ter into the composition ofthis pull
py matter, and the first evil effect OF
alcohol is to withdraw this water.
For alcohol has an uncomfortable
impulse" TO draw water into itself.
Excessive use of alcohol hardens
and draws up the ncrye-pulp in such
way as to impair II not spoil 1t for
It's proper office. When excessive
drinking does not produce intoxica-
tion 1t is because the nerve.pulp has
become inscnsible, rs an oiled
sponge"
The flushed face upon the approach
Of inebriation Is among the earliest
signs Of disturbance Of these delicate
"iilters" in their work, the face be-
ing among the parts of the body ex.
ceptionally supplied with blood.
The restraining" or filtering work
Of the pulpy substance is impaired,
and hence the unnatural reception oi
blood into the pulp cells. this un.
natural process is repeated or be-
comes habitual, the blotched, red
swollen and pimplcd face is the re
suit Of keeping the nerve pulp satu-
rated with alcohol, and the delicate
membranes, dried aud dyed red,
show through the skin. The frs
stages Of int0xication are shown i,
the want Of command over the lowe
lip and lower limbs. The nerve pull
Of the spinal cord is touched. TIL
muscles fee! the torper. Tremblin,
and shuddcring follow. Next th
nerye.pulp Of the brain comes undo
the evil influence, and the control 0
the judgment and the will disappear.
When a man is what Is termed "dca
drunk the paralysis Of the highe
nerve centres and of the brain is CA
ricd to it's full end. All inlcts of th
senses are closed; all consciousness
and sensation are destroyed, and a
power Of voluntary movements is Q
faced. The heart, the seat or liz
tolls on II an enormous quantity |