The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-05-18

ems WIN llS COSu at Tue saloon.
But | have depressed from the
consideration of the action of these
drinks on the body. Directly even
the smallest quantity is swallowed
even tablespoonful-all the ma
chinery of the body is at work to
expel it. 1t is forced through the
kidneys, the skin, and the lungs,
and if you get near enough to the
drinbcr you can smell the poison in
every breath. 1t is treated by the
body as q common robber, for it en-
tiers to steal its peace and comfort.
| hope, at some future time, to be
able to show you some beautiful and
instructive experiments by the aid
of powerful magic lantern and
microscope. l could show you the
action of alcohol on the blood, the
heart, and other parts of the body.
But let me say q few words on its
action on the blood. Directly the
smallest particle of alcohol is taken
into the stomach, it is absorbed into
the circulation, and comes in con-
tact with the blood. Now the blood
is largely composed of thin disks,
bi-concave-that is, hollow on the
outer edges. In q small drop of
blood there are two or three hun
dred of these disks, they can be
distinctly seen by a microscope per-
fectly shaped, full Of life and ac-
tivity. One of the important func-
ton of these blood corpuscles is,
to absorb and carry oxygen. Now,
what is the effect of the contact of
alcohol with these delicate and i'm
portant structures? Directly they are
touched by alcohol they are broken
up, the natural shape is destroyed,
the beautiful red color is gone; for
they are shrivelled up, so that they
can no longer absorb oxygen from
the air upon which their color, and
their very existence, depend. Time
would fail me to pursue this, to me
most interesting, part of my subject,
and l shall close it with few words
on the action of alcohol on that most
vital of all organs of the body, the
heart. The heart is almost wholly
composed of muscular tissue and
blood vessels, it is in fact q hollow
muscle, by the contraction of which
the blood is forced into the extremi-
ties of the body, carrying with it the
elements from which the tissues of
the body are built up. The amount
of work required to be performed by
the heart is enormous, and some
times it is subject to severe extra
strain, as in running, and lifting
heavy weights. In health it beats
"a times a minute, but a small por-
ton of alcohol will increase the, pull
sations, thus making it do extra
heavy work. Even so small guam
tity as one ounce, two-tablespoon-
fuls, will make the heart beat 400
times day more. This means the
wasting of force equivalent to lifting
1900 pounds one foot high in a
minute.
Thus are proved the words of
scripture, cit diminisheth strength"
as well as maketh wounds" This
waste of force continued produces a
change in the structure Of the heart.
The muscles and what are termed the
walls of the heart in time lose the
softness and elasticity so essential
to their natural exercise, and become
hard and bony. There is also de-
post of fat formed on the walls of
the heart, clogging up the muscles
and producing the disease known as
F." fatty degeneration. disease
water drinkers do not suffer from.
Thus the drinkcr weakcns his system,
and becomes an easier victim to
disease. Thus does intemperance
corrodc the very life blood.
Do not for a moment labor under
the delusion that alcohol possesses
any power under any circumstances
to sustain OF build up the body nor
is it a preventive against any dis
ease. Beware of it, as beer.
What?" says somebody, "Why,
beer is Strengthening, l know it.
Abuse whiskey if you like, but let
the beer alone. Is it not made from
barley and hops, and are they not
wholesome?" Yes, barley is good /;
have eaten it as bread, and it is a
good staff of life, just what God
sent it for. Liebig, one of the
greatest chemists the world has ever
known, said:" After eight years Of
thorough experiment, have proved
with mathematical accuracy that the
amount Of nourishment you may
take upon the point of table knife
inserted into sack of -four, con-
tains absolutely more nourishment
for the physical organism than the
nourishment contained in a gallon
of the best Bavarian beer, and if O
person is able to drink two gallons
of beer day each day in the year
he would get about the same amount
of nutritinn in fhot tin,a that bf