The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-02-24

On. conv one wear. @l.5o
- six months "
SPIRIT NOT A FOOD.
TO the Editors Of the N. P. Farmer:
In last weeks communication from
D. he does not attempt to disprove the
correctness of the position I took, as
to what constitutes true temperance,
and by his silence on this point, tacit-
ly admits that the definition is cor.
rect; the only point of difference be-
tween us being as to the fact whether
alcohol is injurious as beverage. D.
says that am evidently mot aware
that the spirit produced from food in
the stomach is the same that is pro-
duced from the same food in the wine
or beer watts, and that these watts are
exact copies of the heat, fluid, fer
ment and mechanical action of the
human stomach Well, u. is about
right there. am not aware of any
such thing. lam not aware that there
is any alcoholic spirit formed in the
stomach during the process of digest
ion, nor at any other time, or at any
other part of the system. am not
aware that the stomach, and it's work.
ings, is an exact copy of the beer or
wine vat, and its workings. I am
aware that there is similarity in the
two processes up to certain point
but there is no alcohol developed dur
ing this process in the stomach, and l
am not aware that Liebig, or any 9TH
er scientist, ever said there was; if
they did, will D. please tell us when
and where. It seems idle to attempt
to refute such absurd theories, as ev-
cry school boy, even, knows that the
result of the workings Of brewers and
winters vats, etc., is wine and beer,
and that the result of the workings Of
the human stomach, etc., is blood, and
if the workings of the two acre the
same, on the same material, then the
result must he the same,-which it is
not. But since the scientific side of
this subject has been broached, will,
at the risk of being tedious, attempt
to prove
lst. That alcoholic spirit is not
food in any sense of the term.
I'd. That its action upon the healthy
human organism is positively injur-
ious, even when taken in small guam
titles.
In respect to alcohol as food, it is
a fact admitted by all scientists that
to be food, an article must be capa-
BILE of assimilation to the system, or
in other words, must be capable of
entering into the composition of
blood, muscular fibre, or other tissue.
Alcohol is not capable of being util-
lied in the system. 1t commences to
leave the system from the time it is
introduced, in exactly the same con-
dition, without having undergone any
change, being thrown out by the &C.
tion of the skin, the lungs, and the
kidneys, at a loss: an expenditure of
force in exact proportion to the
quantity taken. This is fact that |
is susceptible Of proof. 1 can dem.
onstrate it to the satisfaction of d..
Or any other person who may wish to |
see the experiment. But as D. seems
to attach more Importance to the |
opinions of scientific men, will give
some in support of the position taken. |
Liebig, the great German chemist,
says: .:B:er, ,ci'ae, spirits. etc., fur
nish no element capable of entering
into the composition of blood. n.uscu-
lar, fiber, or any part which is the
seat of the vital principle" ('Let-
ters on Chemistry. 1874, p. sly Prof.
Lehman, after discussing the sub |
ject at great length, in conclusion
says: 1--WE cannot therefore, believe
that alcohol, ETC., wlich,Rroduce such
powerful reactions on. the nervous
system, belong to the csass Of sustt.