The Wilmingtonian., 1884-10-25

one mosb ucSeneldJe physical specimens
extant, and the best evidences of the truth
of my thesis.
There are some, perhaps, who would hold
still to the exploded view, by assuming that
one structure dead in its form, and danger
GUS as death in life, if it preponderate and
replace living tissue-I mean fat-may be
constructed out of alcohol in the body.
There is, however, no evidence even in favor
of this view. We see in our cattle-shows
swine fattened until they cannot open their
eyes, and cattle fattened until they can
scarcely breathe, and all without drop of
alcoholic spirit as the fattener. On the
other hand we learn, from experiment, that
animals freely supplied with alcohol, minus
all saccharine or starchy substances in con-
nection with the supply, lose deposited fat
as well as muscle. Apart, therefore, from
another question which some have raised,
viz, whether alcohol would be rendering
good service to man if it did promote fatty
deposit in his living tissues, the balance of
evidence is in favor of the view that it does
no such thing, and / conclude this part by
fact, that alcohol contributes nothing that
is necessary for building up the animal
organism of man or lower animal.
AGAINST ALCOHOL AS SOURCE OF VITAL
POWER IN THE BODY.
Under the term 0itdl power, we may cover
all the physical nature of the animal that is
other than material. We may include the
calor oitdlis, the living fire as indicated in
the living man by tho heat which radiates
from him; the motion that shows him to be
alive; the mental acts which excite the
motion; the concentrated activity; the static
force ready to move in obedience to some.
thing more distinct and refined still, which
our most subtitle research does not yet fol-
low, the egoic entity, the 81 will.''
This vital power, the associated imponder-
able connected with the constructive organ
lied material and animating it, requiring,
like the constructive matter, food for its
manifestation, without which the body is
dead Edoes this depend, of necessity, on
alcohol for its supplies? Is an animal body
made warm, strong, active, precise in actiy-
ity, felcitous, by alcohol?
The answer to this question, in application
to the small section of life called the human
family of life, and part of it only, was an
affirmative answer until quite late time.
The doctrine of the schools has been, alcohol
for warmth, alcohol for strength, alcohol for
activity, alcohol for felicity. The poets
have re-echoed the schools:-
"Wne's the soul of man below"
Perchance! But where is belowp
The common sense of mankind would
infer, if it were thoughtful that all provi-
sion was made naturally for the animal
powers without alcohol. The fact is as
patent as that relating to construction, when
it is surveyed on the large scale. Animal
warmth is provided for the polar bear, the
seal, the nothern whale, without any refer
ence to alcohol. The esquimau keeps warm
without it, and could not easily get it if he
required it. Every child that is born is in
want of animal warmth more in its first
days than at any period of life; but it does
not depend on alcohol, naturally, for its sup
ply.
Animal strength is provided for the ele-
phant, rhinoceros, camel, lion, eagle and
other strongest animals without any refer
ence to alcohol. The strongest and finest
built men in Europe. as Sir William Fair
BARN tells us, are the boatmen or rowers to
the caiques in Constantineple, men who,
during their most arduous work, keep M
their strength without resort to alcohol; and
every one who is justly obseryant will find
similar illustrations in his own and other
communities.
Activity and precision in activity are
VIGOROUSLY to be obtained without the aid
of alcohol. All well. trained lower animals.
from finest race-horses or war-steeds down
to dancing dogs, are proofs of precision in
activity without resort to alcohol. Man
follows in the same wake; if he wishes to
shoot well, row ell, walk we'll, fight well,
write well, think well, he abstains from alco-
hol.
And felicity, too, the last named of the
imponderable powers, is,with equal obvious
ness, best attained without any reference to
alcohol. The first period of life, when life
is fairly surrounded by earthly comforts, is
the happiest, and that is the abstaining
period. The life that is least embarrassed
with sadness, least troubled with emotion of
sorrow, most equable in its felicity, is that
life which DR.. James johnson dignified as
the life gliding most TRANQUILITY on its course,
neither exhilarated nor depressed by alco-
holic alteration.
These are common matters of everyday
science. They are backed by the science
which is at once experimental and severe,
The most accurate experimental observa-
lions demonstrate that the physical action
of alcohol is to reduce the animal warmth:
to bring down the effective power for phys-
ical and mental work; to render sensorial or
muscular precision defective; to produce
excitability of nervous action; and to keep
the mind in continual change of cast and
character, over-resolute, irresolute, uncer
tain, moving from feebleness to fury, from
the brief madness Of anger to the persistent
madness of confirmed insanity.
How on large scale alcohol lessons
warmth of body, power of limb, precision of
movement, decision of character, every
shivering, trembling, uncertain, undecided
victim of it whom we meet in the streets
shows; every person who passes from
ebriety to drunkenness shows. But Science,
in her severer readings, detects that the fail
ure of strength and precision begins much
sooner and under much lighter provocation
than is suDnpsed nv the majority of ,,,,