Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-11-20
OwISGs' MILLS, ND, Nov. IL, 1878.

DEAR GUARnsAN: have recently been
reading o lectsrv on AicobS, by Dr.. b. W.
Rsehauison, Of England, and Wa 20 much
struck With Some OF che <Acts given in 1t
that | think some Of your readers might
be profted by them. Alcohol is q fruitful
subject aud may be studied from moral
standpoints. We may consider it in its
bearing ou finances, on morals, or on ibs
body considered as q mere machine. II Is
in the last rNpect that DIR. RE. ardson
considers it more rrIrcially-that is, iraN-
ing out of consideration the effect which
alcohol has on the moral nsturr Of aman-
physical nature. lie looks AT H. Is n MA
chine, and tried to d"tcrmiu" whethri this
machine can ,lu better aud morc w"Ik With
or without the use of alcohol. ln one
sense our hod"s ar. engines which are
made To work 10y means of he v,nuus
substance. which We put into them III the
way oi Eood and drink. Now, just rs AN
-ngiur,, wuuh study the cirrct of given
kind Of frrl on The working power If MI
engine, ~ Or. Richardson plays engineer
for our compli, ated machine aud iIrs To
find out what alcohol does for rs. When
considered purely ~ n mainline there j.
one very important particular IN which
We differ from all machines made by hn-
man hands. When once our steam engine
in mad. We set it to work by pntting into
it water aud fuel. All that these sub
stances do is to put the machinery in mo-
ton; if the boiler burns out the water,
wood or coal which we put in will not
repair the injury. But in this body of
ours tho food and drink which We take in
not only dc>rlope force for setting the ma
chine in motion, but furnishes the mate
rial for the repair of any part that becomes
worn The Tissues of our body become
worn aud must be built up again. This
wearing out and building up is going on
all the time Since these foods (ncluding
all Liquors. do two separate things for us
we can study alcohol under these two as.
poets. We may first ask whether ii makes
our machine run faster or slower. or what
effect IT bias on the running of the ma
chinef In the next place We ask whether
alcohol docs anything IN the way Of build.
ing mp the worn ont TISSUES of the bodyf
DR.. Richardson considers il from both
these points OF view. In order to arrive
at satisfactory conclusion he made a
large number of experiments OH both men
aud lower animals. 1t would lie both in.
trrcsting and INSTRUCTIVE" To follow the
Doctor somewhat in detail 80 ~ to under
stand his conclusions better, but the limits
of a newspaper article do not permit this,
and We must be content with a mere state
meut Of his conclusions, which are given
mainly in his own language. lie says:
The popular plan of administering al
cohol for the purpose of sustaining the
animal warmth is an eutiir aud danger
Gus error, and when II is brought into
practice during extremely cold weather, IT.
Is calculated Ia lead 10 even fatal Cuusr-
qnrnces, from the readiness with which it
permits the blood to brcom. congestcd III
the vital organs. | cannot too forcibly i'm
press the fact that cold and alcohol act.
ysologically, in the same manner, and
that combined III action. every danger re-
,ultlnS from either agent, il doubled"
] hope your readers Ill ponder the last
sentence we'll, especially those " n think
drink will keep them warm. Instead OF
doing any real good alcohol has tb, same ef.
feet that cold has. This statement is cor
ruboratcd by the fact that the arctic rA
plorrrs have found tina; alcohol is Mt usr.
iul in Keeping them warm; TIA and coffee
arr prci,rrrd hy them. :, let none OF
Your readers rXcn-c themselves for taking
t"ddy "n u cold morning on the plea that
it viii keep them warm. Again hr says:
Il would earnestly impress that the sy>-
irmatic administration at alcohol for thu
purpose at giving aud Sustaining .'rrngth
Is an entire drlu,iuL. am not going t.
say that occlsi,.s do mot arise when m
enicchlcd 81 iaiutlng '.rrLs, Ia Temporarily
relieved, hut that tl,> spirit gives any net
-i>trnt IncIrasr al power 10y whi,a men
are enabled to perform more sustained
work l. mistake as serious a. il - univ rl-
sal"
80 we see that alcohol neither warns
nor strengthens. Now, let us src whether
II fattens, Here is what h. says: The
belief that alcohol may I've used with adj
vantage I" fittcn the body il. when acted
upon. fraught with danger" He then says
that II does produce fat, but that this fat
tening extends to deg"ncrtion through