The Brookhaven leader., 1883-11-22
STANDING ADVERTISEMENTS.
The Effects OF Alcohol on the system.

1
hol does not nourish, but is simply stim-
ulating, such forced activity TO be fol-
lowed by a corresponding depression,
an action resulting from irritation and
excitement, not from vital power, which
/ is but another expression for an un-
natural exercise of the functions of the
/ body. ..-
| While ordinary exercise of the body,
! as a whole, results from natural abil-
| ity, from the stimulus of nutrition
by which an increased strength is legiti-
mately secured-an activity as natural
as the growth of the trees, all artificial
and stimulated labor must waste real
power, and be followed by debility and
disease, This is we'll illustrated by the
influence of alcohol on the action and
labors of the heart. This small organ
-four inches in length is estimated to
do the work of raising 122 tons one
foot, in twenty-four hours. Such enor-
nous labor is increased from 18 to "a
tons daily by the use of ardent spirits.
Of course this is additional labor, for
which nothing is received in return. 1t
is waste of vital energy.
1t is estimated that the heart beats
100000 times in twenty-four hours.
sending more than 312 pounds of blood
through the system. 1t has been ascer-
tanned by actual experiments that
when four fluid ounces are taken, of
alcohol, in twentv-four hours, the
strokes are increased to 112, 226, or 12,-
226 extra beats, equaling 500 extra ones
each hour. or more than eight for each
minute. Ii the alcohol is increased to
six ounces the beats are correspond
ingly increased, 1888 extra ones. or
twelve per minute extra. When eight
ounces were taken, it was observed that
the increase was 24,045 beats, Oh seven
teen extra ones per minute, indicating
quite a feverl
1t has been ascertained that what is
called very moderate use of spirits
or wine-glass three times in twenty
four hours-increases the labor of the
heart 1000 extra beats, or the equira-
lent of lifting seven tons one foot!
This extra labor is. the equivalent of
raising half pound one foot, twenty
! times each minute for twenty-four
hours, a toll which would tax even the
hand if continuous. Something of the
Importance of the mission of the heart
may be inferred when we remember
that it propels the entire blood of the
body through the system about once
in three minutes, and that from this
| blood all parts of the body are mysteri-
ously formed. If, therefore, the heart
ia Is to perform its duties it ceases to
noursh the body just as certainly as
if the supply of food should be dimin-
| ished to that extent. If. there fore, the
hearts power is reduced by this extra
labor, Just in that ratio the sustenance
of the body will be diminished, and
health impaired.
| 1t is also true that the impaired circu-
lation of the vital fluid implies impaired
aeration. The blood is purified in the
lungs, partially, and if the heart-power
is reduced, it is plain that diminished
amount will be sent to the lungs for
publication. Hence, the blood ciTcu-
lated will be of an inferior quality.
Still more: If the heart propels less
! than the natural amount of blood, and
that is of an inferior quality, it follows
! that the digestive and assimilating
organs will be but imperfectly nourished
and less able to secure the greatest
amount of nourishment from the food
taken. All of this implies a degener-
ated state of the system, preparation
for disease, since debility always in
vites disease, while the robust often es-
cape some of the most contagious all
ments, even eridemics.
There is popular not;on-not de-
serving of the term idea-that alcoholic
preparations are particularly demanded
in heart diseases, taken incidentally.
Common-sense, as it might seem, will
show the utter absurdity of this notion.
1t should be remembered that alcohol
is alcohol, whether taken as a medicine
or dram that it is poison under
any and all circumstances; that it has
definite results, not warming" at one
time and cooling" at another; that it
always increases the labor of the heart,
always irritates and inflames the coats
of the stomach and any fiber of the body
with which it comes in contact. Inever,
therefore, should order any alcoholic
preparation in a true heart-disease.-
DR.. j. III. Hannaford, in Golden Rule.