Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-03-23

nerves are paralized, coordination Of hnus.
| cular movement lost and the victim stag
gers OF falls in a helpless heap. Again Dt
Sax OF France claims TO have recently dis
covered that all snch alcoholic drinks a,
wine, beer, brandy, etc., contain parasitic
life which the diluted alcohol does not kill
this parasite In n little animal called "Ba.
cillus POtumanine," which Tre carried by
the blood into every tissue of lhe body and
especially tho brain, 40 TINT when man
hnH drl,fum tremens, his visions are noi
mere hahucinntions hut lie actually sees
every form o. living reptile rioting IN his
BRAIN. As tl,rse little animals crawl over
the optic nerve aud play rhrongh the l1ain
they produce nervous stimuli which pro-
jets their image on the relina Of Tie eye
aud the victim actually sees in the room
that which feeds upon his own brain.
Tie Influence VI narcotics is more mark
ell upon The nerves than rTpon any o:hcr
tissue OF the body. The lsrres are mad.
upI tissue parexcellence irritable, aud
"n account Of lis irritsbilIiy ii is mufe sus-
ceptible TO foreign influence than my utlp-
er tissue; upon exnmening, with a high
power microscope, n piece Of nerve iissne
cut from the nerve OF u drunkafd the SINE
results nre iuund to be manifest IN il, that
vidunl cell- and fibsn ate shrunkcn, tue
connective Tissue IL enlarged and an in
creased amount OF fatty sub>tance IA found
to exist. This condition Of the nervous
syslem is n fore-riinnrr Of all kinds of ner-
vous disease. A careful examination of
nerve tissue IN this condition, by chemical
analysis, when under the influence of al
cuhol and again when the alcohol has been
removed from the boly, expliines the
longing, burning appetite ot man who has
become enslaved TO its use. 1t il found that
the alcohol enters into loose combination
with the nerve cells and fberS forming ns
II were stimulus TO their action, produc-
ing ii you please new nerve acting I'M
tier different conditions the body soon &C.
custOmes itselt to the new action and the
system is said 10 be narCoiiSed, j. e. the sys.
tenn has been no changed that IL is abso-
lutely necessary for the nervous syslem 10
have in combination with ii n certain
amount of alcohol, which must be in
creased from time TO time, in order that il
may perform its functions; now when all
the alcohol has been removed from the
blood the nerve tissue yields up the alco
hol in combination with it, and Ey thus Civ.
lug up One Of its comp, mt parts, disor-
ganiZes the cells and fbers OF the nerve;
the disorganizalion Of cells means the be-
ginning of death aud hence the whole body
sends mp u cry for relief. No Immediate
relief can be found except by taking alco-
hol into the stomach again ard thns sup
plying the nerves with that which they
have lost. However, relief may be found
by the reorganization of the nervous tissue
from the nutrition of regular food taken
into the stomach, but this requires many
days as the nerve tissue is not in condition
to readily assimilaie the food necessary for
its rebuilding; and during these days the
victim must suffer many agonies his feel
lngs are such as language cannot describ
hence, ii is, that so few victims to The cup
are ever redeemed. Yet recovery Is moi
beyond possibility.
This nervous disorganization produced
by The use Of opium ia still greater than
that produced by alcohol, which explains
why IL Is 30 much harder to reform from
the opium habit than The drink habit in
deed 1t has been said by an eminent phys-
i0log'St that II is doubtful whether any one
having formed the habit OF opium has ever
reformed from ii. If not impossible it is
highly improbable that anv one should
eyer recover from the opium habit.
What is true Of alcohol and opium in
forming habits and ruining the health Of
the nerves is true with all other narcotics.
such as tobacco, morphine, chloral, chic
roiorm, elc,, so | need not take your time
in pointing out the specific evils of each
oi these. Now Fellow Teachers, let me ap-
peal to your Judgments MS insirnctors Of
the yonth, IL 1t not as important 10 teach
a pupil what 10 buy for the comfort u, d
care OF his person, rs II is TO teach him
how TO calculate what TO ply for il alter
il is bought?
Does your observation teach yon that IN
this present day men loose more from their
deficient Mathematical ability 10 compute
I han they do from their weak Judgment
IN buying things that prove harmful to
their health and welfare? Health con-
trolls labor. and labor is the price Of money.
Therefore il health il worth rs much ~
money, physiology and hygiene are worth
rs much ~ arithmetic. Is il more i'm
porlant that a hoy should know when to
say, "if ! were" or ii was" than thai he
should know TO keep narcotic puisons out |
Of his blood? Then Psychology and Hv-
giene are as important m grammar. So |
| am persuaded TO day that we cond lust
as well afford to drop any one branch, al
ready taught, ont of The schools ns we c,n
afford TO keep Physiology out. Hoping to
have droped some thought in winch you
may lie personally interested and thanking
you for ynuI attention, / leave the question
open Tor yonr further discussion.