The Red Cloud chief., 1886-01-15
TEMPERANCE.
FULLY ESTABLISHED.
b Medical Experience Of . Century
Proves Ai>ohoi . Poison.

-
The Medical Experience Of . Century
Proves Ai>ohoi . Poison.
Among the many interesting papers
Of the forthcoming centennial volume.
''One Hundred Years Of Temperance
soon to be published by the National
Temperance Society. is one of great
value by DIR. n. S. Davis. Of Chicago.
the father and founder Of the American
Medical Association. entitled The
Centennial Verdict Of Science" from
which we quote the following:
I'm tracing the progress Of scientific
knowledge concerning the nature and
effects Of alcoholic drinns. we find the
following propositions have been clear
ly and fully established. by strictly sci
entiic investigation and experiment,
without the slightest regard To social
or moral considerations on the part Of
the investigators:
L. That the active agent in all the
varieties of fermcntcd and distilled
liquids in Use is alcohol or cthylic ether.
the properties Of which are he same
in all. il differing only in quantity in
the different liquids.
~. That this alcohol belongs. chem
ically. Ia the same group Of hydro-car-
bOns as the different varieties OF ether
and cliiorofOrm now generally called
annsihetics-in other words. il i ethy-
lie ether. composed Of hydrogen. oNy-
gen and carbon-and can be produced
only bya process Of fermentation in sub
stances containing saccharinc matter.
-. The alcohol. wherever found.
whether in fcrmcnted or distilled
liquids. when taken into the human
stomach is absorbed and enters the
blood unchanged. and circu,atcs with
that fluid through every organ and
structure of the body. until the greater
part Or not alb of it i eliminated
through the skin. lungs and kidneys.
II. That while in tine blood the a.
cohol produces all the effects of Il pure
ann,thetic and sedatiyc. directly di-
minishing nerve sen>ibility. muscular
contraction and molecular movements
throughout the system.
1T is the dimunition of nerve sensi-
bility that renders the individual first
light. airy and hilarious. giving the
popular idea Of excitement or stimula-
iion; second. dull. hcsitating. or inco-
hercnt in thought and speech. and un-
steady or staggering in gait, popularity
recognized as incipient ~intoNication;
and. third. entire uncOnsciorsne,s and
muscular paralysis, constituting dead
drunkenness or complete anrsthcsiS.
These successive stages are developed
IN .t.r..f ratio IN fh.. ntyantI,,. s.t.n
~. That the habitual Use Of alcO-
holic liquids. either fcrmentcd or dis
TILED. by the an9sthetic effect of the
alcohol on the nervous system, tends
to create Il demand for more. and con-
sequently moderation in the beginning
very generally leads directly to excess
sooner or later.
&c. That alcohol while in the blood.
in contact with the structures of the
body. is not appropriated rs fool. but
by its strong affinity for the albumin
Gus constituents OF the living structures
it ~retar,is the natural molecular changes
constituting nutrition and waste. and
thereby weakcns all the processes and
functions of life. If taken in large
quantities n once, Or in smaller quan,i-
TIES frequently Ttpcdttu- u II capaDic
Of SC completely p~aralyzing the nerv-
Gus system and arrcsting molecular
changes rs to produce speedy death.
In small quantities repeated from day
to day it simply lessons nerve scn>ihil-
ity. bluniS metal and moral perceptions.
and slowly but surely prevents the nu-
triton of structures in such way as to
make the system more readily yield to
almost all the causes of disease. and TO
specially favor the development Of
either sclerosis or fatty degeneration
in most Of the structures Of the body.
and especially in the liver, Kidneys,
heart and brain.
-. That it can not be taken i'm
health without injury. and though. in
skillful hands. it may be used to a very
limited extent rs Il medicine. it is not
necessary. since in the limited number
of cases or diseased conditions i'll which
it could be used with benefit there are
other agents still more beneficial that
can be substituted for il. "-I,ish World.