The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-08-15
Alcohol Destroys Digestion.


Omitting all reference to the mental
and moral ravages of intemperance, it
would require lifetime to recount the
pains and aches, the malignant diseases
induced by the demon intemperance.
We have already seen that all alcoholic
liquors impair, retard and complicate
digestion, always and everywhere, both
in the case of the sick aud the well,
thus preventing the normal and full
nourishment II the system. Some Of
the robust may endure this for time,
but the sick may safely avoid all COM
binations of it, in the matter of diges-
ton, as they need all of the strength
possible, that they may resist the in
roads of disease. 1t always and every
where wastes Lower-never generating
any-prevents the renovation of the
blood, the whole body, increases the
labors of the heart, by which it must
weaken that organ, deranges the brain
and nerves, yitiates the blood and all of
the digestive juices, none of which eff
fects are favorable to even the robust,
while none of the sick can tolerate any
such antagonistic agencies.
The action of alcohol-as drink,
medicine or BATHS always in the
line of paralysis. Let this thought be
emphasized; it always and everywhere
tends to benumb, derange and evontu-
ally impair and destroy the sensibilities.
In illustration, observe the ''rum-blos-
som" of the drunkard, the red and en-
larged nose. The blood vessels are so
paralyZed that they can not perform
their ordinary labors, from which fact,
in consequence of their relaxed state,
the blood is not urged on, the vessel
becoming engorged at particular places
lin the face, more especially-the &C
emulation and engagement increas-
ing the size of the nose, red enough to
serve as warning--like lighthouse
to guard the young from being wrecked
on the hidden rocks of drunkenness!
The intense red color of the drunkard's
brain is produced in precisely the same
way as that of the nose, namely paral-
ysis of the nerves which control the cir
culation of this part of the body. When
the drunkard's face and nose are red
dened, or blushing under the influence
of alcohol, the brain bushes. The same
may be said also of the lungs, the stom-
ach, the liver, the kidneys and other
structures of his body. His whole phys
ical being bushes with shame for the
outrage against nature. In consequence
of this intense congestion, and the fact
that it receives one-ffth of all the blood
in the body, the brain participates moro
than any other organ i'll the body ex-
cept the liver, in the injury wrought by,
the f'demon drink AS before mem
toned. it sometimes becomes hardened
to such g degree even during life that it
can be readily distinguished from
healthy brain by the sense ftouch alone.
For this reason no function of the
system can be carried on in its normal
condition, doing its legitimate labor or
office. The brain, therefore, thus
robbed of its normal energies, by par
tial paralysis, is unable intelligently to
superintend the running of this wonder
full machine, 'fearfully and wonderful
ly made,'' while the semi-paralyzed
nerves, losing a part of their vital force,
fail to keep up the telegraphic commu-
nicaton between the brain and all parts
of the body, which harmony demands
AHO H0dLI-OCCupyiuS UhS pOSlIIOH VI
the prime motor-enervated by fear
full increase of tolls by the use of alco-
holic stlmulants, (goads) laboring under
serious disadvantages, must fail to per-
form its part of the system labor, just
to that extent failing to convey nourlsh-
ment to all parts of the body, as well
as failing in gathering up the waste and
poisonous parts, conveying them to the
lungs for renovation, publication. Al
failure here is but. another name for
universal failure! If the stomach is not
nourished and stimulated by pure blood.
it must to that extent be unable to so
transform the food into blood as to i'm
poverish the whole system. There
must be a general absence of vital force,
the supplies being cut off, partially, and
the renovating and purifying forces
suffering to the same extent. Alcohol
is a ''two-edged sword fearfully de-
stroving the vital forces. 1t attacks
both directly and indirectly, first re-
ducing the power of all of the organs of
the body, then indirectly aggravating
the evils by reducing their nourishment,
by impairing digestion. This is an apt
illustration of the Bible assertion that
''if one member suffers, all will suffer