The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-05-12

greatly disturbed in their action, and death,
generally the direct result of suspension Of
the respiratory movements, may ensue
| When this degree of alcoholic intoxication
is at its height the person is dead to all ex-
ternal expressions. Boiling water may be.
poured on his body or his legs may be,
burned off in lime kiln, but he feels MOTH
| ing; speech is impossible; the pupils are,
| largely dilated; the breathing is slow
heaVy and stertorous; the face is swollen.
and purple from the circulation of non
oxygenized blood through the vessels, and
the power of thought is extinct. Should
the poisoning process go little farther, so,
| as to involve the nerve centers which pre-
side over the action of the heart and lungs,
to slightly greater extent, life is very soon
abolished.
Such are the immediate effects which fol-
low the taking of large quantities of alcohol
INTO the human stomach. No one can fail
to observe that most of the remarkable
phenomena mentioned are connected di-
rectly or indirectly with the nervous sys-
tenn Indeed, experiments performed upon,
animals with reference to this point as
well as careful observation of the effects
OF alcohol on the human system, show that,
the substance has a signal affinity for the.
nervous tissue, and that it is even capable
of acting powerfully on the brain, the spi-
nal cord and the sympathetic system, be-
fore there has been time for it to be alb.
sorbed from the stomach and to act
through the medium of the blood In
stances are on record, and l have myself
witnessed one such, in which a large guam
tfty of alcohol taken into the stomach has
produced death in few minutes. Orfila
cites case in which man died immedi-
ately from the effects of an overdose of
brandy. In the instance that came under
my own notice, man drank somewhat.
over pint of whisky without stopping
He Immediately became deathly pale, stag
gered few steps and fell dead l have
several times killed rabbits in less than
minute by introducing an ounce of pure
alcohol into the stomach. In such cases
the action is not excited through the me-
dunn of the blood, but directly ON the SYM
pathetic system Indeed, if, as have fire.
quently observed, a like amount of alcohol
be injected into vein, death does not ensue.
with as great rapidity.
nave not the space to do more than.
mention the conditions known as delirum.
tremens and chronic alcoholic intoxication
The first of these is an acute form of alco-,
holic poisoning the last as its name implies,
is a more chronic manifestation. Both are
especially the result OF the absorption by
the brain and other parts of the nervous,
system of the alcohol which has been taken
into the stomach. have shown, by many
experiments, that the nervous substance Of
animals poisoned with alcohol, if cut up.
into small pieces, soaked in a little water
and then distilled, yields alcohol in very
considerable amount The brains of ma.
bitual drunkards treated in this manner
give like evidence of the actual presence
of alcohol 1t is impossible for this sub
stance to be in such intimate contact with
the nervous tissues without effecting radi-
cal changes in their structure Experiments;
upon animals, as well as post-mortem ex--
aminations of the bodies of habitual drunk
ards, show this without the possibility of
doubt to be a fact 1t is not strange, there
fore, that at least twenty diseases of the
nervous system, as well as every variety of
insanity, may be produced by the excessive
use OF, alcohol The crime, the mental and
physical degradation, the social misery and
the destruction OF life that result more or
less Immediately from the abuse of this.
powerful agent are simply incalculable. -
Wdian1 A. Hammond, IN ". Y. Mat ana
ErDreSS