Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-08-08

OF itseif without even the aid of the
stomach.
ii. Alcohol destroys the power o
gastric juice to do its work.
DR.. Dundas Thompson says, "It
is a remarkable fact that alcohol
when added to the digestive fluid
produces white precipitate, so thai
the fluid is no longer capable OF di'
costing animal eli vegetable matter
This precipitation, or throwing
down, is due to the coagulation o.
the pepsin. an essential element O
the gastric juice.
Drs. Todd aud Bowman say, "Tht
use of alcoholic stimulanJs also re-
tard digestion by coagulating the
pepsin, and thereby interfering with
its action. Were it not that wine and
spirlts are rapidly absorbed, the in.
PRODUCTION OF these into the stomach
in any quantity, would be a com
plete bar to the food, rs the pepsir
would be precipitated from solution
as quickly as 1t was formed by the
stomach"
III. Alcohol prevents the food
from becoming blood.
Digestion is the process by which
the nutritious parts of the food are
converted into blood, and the innu.
tritious. or non blood-fornling, are
expelled from the body. There are
eight sub processes: l. Taking it in.
to the mouth; 2. Masticating it with
the teeth; 3. Insalivation (mixing il
with the spittle); 4. Deglutition, OIL
swallowing it; 5. Chymilication
pulling it to pieces IN the stomach
&. Qualification, mixing the juices
with it; 7. Absorption, and 8. De.
faction, getting rid of the waste mat.
ter.
the food remain hard or undis-
solved it will sooner or later cause
pain, give rise to indigestion, and
pave the way for many other serious
evils.
Our most accurate knowledge OF
what takes place in the stomach is
derived from DR., Beaumont of Amer
lea. In 1882, a healthy young man
q Canadian named Alexis St Mar
tin, met with a CUR shot accident
causing a perforation in his stomach.
He became patient of Dir. Beau
mont's, and also remained in his
service long time. In about a year
he was cured. but the perforation in
his stomach remained about p inch
es in diameter. A sort OF fold was
made to cover this opening and pre-
vent the food from escaping. Dur
ing several years DR.. Beaumont made
various experiments in digestion on
St. Martin and published the results.
Among these we find him saying
that after St. Martin had been in
dulging in spirits for a day Or two,
though not to degree termed eN-
cessive, his stomach became covered
to a greater or less extent with dry
ish, red-looking patches. In each
case st Martin was himself entirely
ncor,scious of any falling off in his
health.
"Alcohol," said the Edinburgh
J03aaol in 1889 has no
share in that assimilation of the
blood which other articles of diet
possess, since it has been declared by
high authority, that spirit does not
in amy way mix with the blood, and
is not capable OF assimilation with
its clements when introduced into
the current of circulation. It is a
body altogether foreign, acts in all
respects like poisonous agent, how
ever feebly, and the effects which it
to produce IN the way of
stimulation, (irrita ton p or excite
ment, are inaniscstlv due to Its re-
tarding the motion of the blood in
the capillaries and producing there
stagnation and conges-
ton"
". Alcohol prevents tire blood
itself from nourishlng the body.
If we cut our finger the blood does
lot flow like water does from bro
Ken pipe, but it clcts, thickens, Or
round the cut like gum,
md by-and-by closes up the cut.
Now this wonderful arrangement tor
he blood to thicken in the air is
most important, for if it did not do
% we should bleed to death. But
We do not want it to thicken inside
;ur veins, for if it did SO we should
ind it would cease to flow, the heart
would stop beating, and we should
soon die.
The substance which gives the
blood this power is very much like
he white Of an egg. If We take half
he white OF an egg and put it in
oottlc or cup and add some alco-
nol, it will begin ts thicken and
gradually become like cheese. If
We take the other half of the white
If the egg and put it in bottle with
water, we shall thin it.
Alcohol thickens the blood, and
by degrees little distractions are
quilt up here and there in the veins
which hinder the proper circulation,
and lead to disease in many ways.
We sometimes hear of men drinking
4 large quantity of spirits for a wager
and dropping down dead. 1t is due
10 the stoppage in the circulation m
,he blood produced by the alcohol.
For these and many other reasons
we come to the conclusion that if we
need anything to help to digest or
distribute our food, water will help,
alcohol will hinder, and therefore it
is wise to abstain from mans inven-
tons, and be content with God :
good gift-heaven sent water. The
Union Signal.
A blessing to all Mankind.