The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-05-12
W. C. T. u. COLUMN.
Owosso W.C.T.U. meets second
and fourth Wednesday ofeach month;
at 8 pm, 10 Club Parlor, Salisbury
Block; Mrs II. N. Reed, President /,
Mrs, a, II. ParkilJ seeretary,l a


BY invitation from the State Board
of Health, paper was prepared,
and read before the Sanitary Con-
vention held in Battle Greek, March
soth 1881, by DR.. A. F. Rhine, OF
Ypsilanti. The subject being "The
Sanitary relations of single point,
in the New Physiology of Alcohol, y
The f"point4 being that alcohol, is
not in reality a stimulant. The
Executive Board of the State w. c.
II, ". believing the subject too i'm
portantto be lost sight OF, have re-
printed the address in pamphlet form.
The following is brief synopsis.
He first states that it is important
to understand that practically there
is no difference between the bever-
ages and the chemical alcohol, and
no essential difference among the
beverages themselves, they all con
tain alcohol, are all Intoxicating.
The nature of alcohol cannot be
changed, whereyer. it is found it is
alcohol still. He then considers
"The action Of alcohol on vital
functions. All agree that it is
narcotic. When freely given it
paralyzes the nerves of sensation and
motion, the consciousness, and last,
the nerves of organic life, and this
is death. Then he argues that it
produces its apparently stimulating
effects by operating as paralyzing
thus, "The drunken man
is not more profane, obscene, muir
derous, licentious, or vicious than the
evil nature that is in him, but the
narcotic mas paralyzed his better
nature, which resides in the brain,
while his animal faculties, which
reside in the organic system of
nerves, are as yet Unaffected. He is
no worse man in his cups than he
was before; but for the time, his
modesty, decency, sense of right and
the faculties by which
his conduct is regulated-are more
or less under the influence of the
narcotic, and his baser passions and
are left to have their way
with him unrestrained.
There are two descriptions Of
nerves, the cerebro-spinal, or vase
motor nerves, and the sympathetic
Or regulating nerves. Their exist
ence, their relations to each other
and their different functions in the
economy of life, have been demon
;trated. The healthy presence and
influence of both, are
Indispensable to processes of organic
life in every part of the body.
Alcohol, like other narcotics. para
lyze all the nerves, but in certain or
der, and always in the same order. Its
first visible effect when given in
small doses, is always to quicken
the action of the heart, when given
in large doses its last effect, is to
paralyze the heart. Has it then a
double nature !? 1t is not likely,
although the evidence in favor of
that view is strong. The true state
Of the case IS, the alcohol is a
narcotic and paralyzing agent,
in large or small doses, when
/ quickens the action of the heart
and seems to stimulate, and when it
overwhelms and fatally poisons the
entire system, but true to its elective
nature, it paralyzes the inhibitory
nerves Of the heart first, and the
1uickened action which Immediately
follows, is due to the fact that the
motor nerves of the heart are no
onger checked and regulated.
"Alcohol reddens the face, but
this only proves that it is poison
instead of a stimulant. No true
produces heightened
color even. But the same flush may
be produced by dividing the sympa-
thetic nerve which runs to the face,
proving that whatever causes a
of the vitality of those
nerves, causes also disturbance in
the circulation of the blood. Alco-
L.