The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-05-11

when occupying its proper position, as
medicine, is amongst the most potent for
good. Some may differ from me as to
this being the sole mission of alcohol, q
am not speaking of its use in mechanies)
and for the benefit of such, we will brief.
ly consider its physiological action on
, the human system. You ask is it not
food? does it not nourish the body?
answer no. When alcohol is imbibed
without undergoing any appreciable
change, it is absorbed by the veins ofthe
stomach, enters the circulatory system
and is carried with the blood to the
brain, which it stimulates to increased
action, it does not nourish the brain
tissue. Let me illustrate, you see the
lamp burning on this desk. Why does
it burn? 1t is simply chemical process.
Carbon supplied by the oil and wick are
combining with portion of oxygen of
the air, and the result is combustion,
manifested by heat and light. All must
see that the light is nourished by oxygen
and carbon. Now let me give this little
wheel which raises and lowers the wick,
little turn. you see the fame burns
more brightly, and with each additional
turn of the wheel continues to grow
brighter. Now the lamp is glowing at
its full capacity. As / continue to turn
the wheel, the light begins to tlurr, the
flames rushes out at the top of the CHM
ney. it is over stimulated, this naturally
transparent glass, is becoming clouded
and Opaque. If you desire to nourish
the lamp you must add oil and furnish
pure air; to stimulate you simply turn
the wheel, and call the supply on hand
into increased action. Now this is just
what takes place when stimulents are
taken. They excite the brain to increas-
ed action, but furnish no food to atone
for the increased rate of brain disinteg-
ration caused by them. The first few
drinks taken by person accustomed to
its use, gently stimulates the brain; the
intellect becomes more brilliant; all the
animal functions are performed with
alacrity, but carry the stimulation be
yond this and the intellect becomes
clouded; depression follows; all the func
tons are sluggishly performed; the man
is drunk.
We have traced alcohol to the brain
and. seen something there, now let us
continue our investigations little furth-
er, and see what disposition is made oft.
From the brain it is carried directly 10
the lungs, where it is burned. You do
not mean literally burned? Yes literally
burned, producing sensible heat; me-
thinks / hear some one say "he is getting
into difficulty now; he said it was of no
use in the human economy Now he
says it produces heat. always thought
it an excellent warmer on cold occasions,
and that is when use it."
But / reply God did not intend your
bodies for spirit, but oil lamps. Animal
heat is largely due to the combustion of
substances in the lungs.
The oil in the fatty substances We eat, is
the principal source of combustion,
sugar, starch, and the effete substances
arising from the disintegration or break
ing down of tissue, consists largely of
substances. This matter
enters the circulation and is carried to
the lungs, where it is burned by COM
bining with the oxygen of the inspired
air, and is eliminated from the system
in the form of carbonic acid gas. There
are two very important results attained
here, first the animal heat is maintained
at the proper temperature, and secondly
the effete substances above spoken of
are removed from the system. All must
agree that the animal temperature may
be ;nd usually is maintained without the /
use Of alcohol, bat not SO with regard 20
oil, this is why ii has been said, God de-
signed mans body for an oil lamp.
But what is the physiological result
when alcohol is taken. | shall have tol
give you brief explanation of law in
chemistry to illustrate what | desire toI
say in this connection. We have in
chemistry what is known as Electric
that is, one chemical element
may have the power of combining with
a number of elements, but may enter
more readily into combination with
certain clements than others, so that
when number of elements are placed
under favorable circumstances to- or from
chemical combinations, those having the !
greatest affinity will unite to the exclu-
sion Of the others. When alcohol is |
taken, having greater affinity for oxy-
gen than for starch, sugar, or waste ami
NAL matter, it enters frs. into combina
ton and leaves the deleterious, ,effete sub
stances, to travel round after round of
the circulation, and become very pro-
lite source Of disease. We have seen
that alcohol enters more readily into
with alcohol than the oher
Substances spoken Of but it does not nec-
essarily follow, that then combination
produces greater degree of heat. Take
a piece of paper and hold it to the flame
and it burns with avidity, not so with
piece of coal, but when the coal is thor
oughly ignited it produces many times
more heat. Liebig, who is the highest
author in chemistry, says, if 100 parts of
oil are required to produce certain re-
suit by their combustion, to accomplish
the same result by starch, it will require
24O parts, by sugar 249, by alcohol 266.
These facts are as well established as anyl
truths in physical science. Oil, starch,
and sugar have greater heat producing
properties than alcohol. We may have
a practical illustration of alcohol on ami
NAL temperature, by placing the bulb OF
a delicate fever thermometer in the
mouth of a rabbit, ascertain its natural
then bring the animal un-
dor the influence of alcohol, and you
may ascertain its temperature to have
salIen as indicated by the thermometer.
You NAV find this statement in Captain
Ross history of his second voyage TO
a;sonrer the North West passage. the