The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-04-13
Is Alcohol n Poisonl
BY 5. +. ROOT, NJ. d

This question is at present agitating
the people of this county; the occasion
being, the labelling of alcohol "poison''
at the town agency.
Some claim that if Il substance is not
poisonous in minute doses it is not
properly n poison at all.
1t is the "nature,' and not the
"amount of power to a grain" that
makes a substance a poison. Webster
in his unabridged says, according to
the popular notion those articles only
are poisonous, which are capable of
producing morbid, noxious or danger
Gus effects in comparatively small guam
titles, but there is no Just foundation
for such distinction"
The directors of the Scottish Tempe
rance League made Investigation of The
nature of alcohol by means of a medical
commission, and the result was announ-
ced in 1873 by James Miller, professor
of surgery in the University of Edin-
burgh, and surgeon i'm ordinary to the
queen of England. No more compe-
tent medical authority can be found in
Europe or America. and his report was
confined to the nature of alcohol as n
medical and scientific fact. and had no
reference whatever TO the Addison
county labels, so that his view cannot
be preiudiced one. We take no
ground for or against the labels. but
quote the words of Prof. Miller entirely
with reference to their scientific impor-
tance. 1t is to be regretted that the
whole report cannot be given on ac-
count of its length. Prof. Miller saws:
"Alcohol is a poison. In chemistry
and physiology, this is its proper place.
'The sedative action of alcohol on the
brain, says Christisen, and we know no
higher authority either as regards poi
sons. or the articles of the matcria me
dica-.constitutes il n powerful narcotic
poison. For its effects. if brought on
rapidly bv a LARGE dose, there is no anti
dote known. il is almost at once alb
sorbcd by the veins of the stomach, and
mixing with the blood is carried to all
parts of the body, affecting certain OF
these very especially, namely, the nerve
centres. These are paralysed, the heart
stops and life ceases. The shock of a
large dose of alcohol upon the nervous
system acts like blow on the head, or
kick on the stomach. Prussic (Iy-
drocyanic) acid is not more deadly
''But the dose may not be sufficient TO
kill by shock, and the man is found in
state closely resembling aDODlpNN.
with suflused face. laboring pulse.
noisy breathing and total insensibilitv.
The alcohol has reached the nervous
centres as before, the man is choking to
death gradually as with rope around
his neck. or a clot of blood in his brain,
and in no LONG time all is still in death.
.In the first case death Is by shock, in
the second by coma. Poisoned, intOr-
icated; literally the words mean
the same thing. In smaller quantities.
the alcohol acts as a stimulant at first
as the dose is continued intellectual
perversion partak es more and more of
the nature of dclirum. he is temporari-
" insane. Certain advocates of alcohol
talk in an odd fashion of how il is atoned
for 'Hc sleeps it off at night, or pays for
il by headache in the morning. lie
has a heavy sleep, but he does not sleep
it all Off; he pays heavy bill, but lie
cannot show a discharge in full.
"Alcohol. in a smaller dose than at any
time to threaten fatal poisoning, by
frequent repetition. NAV produce the
most damaging results upon the entire
nervous system. This state has been
called chronic alcohol poisoning. Ar
senic could not sap life more surely,