The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-23
BEER AND DIGESTION
What DR.. Hare, Of the University OF
Pennsylvania, Says About 1t.

| DR.. H A. Hare, demonstrator of experimental
therapeutics and Instructor in physical diagnosis
| In the University of Pennsylvania, says the physi
clan Is frequently puzzled when prescribing for a
convalescent as to which alcoholic beverage OF q
| mild and pleasant character he can recommend
with the least fear OF "upsetting" the stomach.
| rhe writer has, therefore, attempted to decide
this question.
Before passing to direct consideration Of the
methods employed and the results obtained 1t is
necessary that o few physiological and therapeutic
cal points be brought forward. Every one knows
that alcohol retards digestion in the test tube but
aids 1t In the stomach and while these facts seem
somewhat paradoxical, they are, in reality, per
festly logical for the following reasons
In the test-tube we have a given quantity of
digestive aud on which the alcohol may act, and
we cannot have any increase in the quantity OF
that fluid, because 1t Is surrounded by glass walls
IN the stomach the alcohol acts quite as much or
the digestive ferment 1t does on the test-tube
but 1t also. by the presence of that viscus exctes
the gastric glands such extent that an excess
Of gastric juice il secreted sufficient to counterbal
ance any anti-digestIve influences. In other
words, the action of the spirit the living tissus
is greater than its action the digestive ferments
Theoretically, alcohol should never be used in
Indigestion or in conditions of gastric weakness;
practically, every physician of experience or edu-
ation gives alcohol under just these circum
stances and, very properly, too gives the stronger
| alcoholic preparations instead OF the weaker In
Uphold fever we give brandy or whisky in the
arst stages. almost solely for the purpose Of in
.reasing digestion.
1t is also known, by those interested in such
matters In the profession. that beer aids digestion
but llttle at ALL by means of its alcohol since
hat constituent is present in diluted form and
In such small quantity that 1t can neither aid d-
geston to any extent by acting the coats of the
stomach nor retard 1t by influencing the digestive
iuid. 1t should not be forgotten that while all al
sohoc fluids theoretically retard gastric digestion
hat beer does SO much less than brandy whisky
Iwlng to its small amount of alcohol, and WHILE as
has already been shown, this fact rather obtains
against its practical use that this Is overcome by
The carbonic acid and bitter principles of the beer
which stimulate excite and act bitter tonics on
The gastric glands.
Beers to be wholesome. should, therefore, con-
lain carbonlc acid and bitter principles to far
tegree. the alcohol taking subservient and al
most useless role far digestion is concerned.
To sum up the results of these experiments, we
aud that the beers examined varied In their action
as much as htty-nine minutes, and that while most
beers do not retard digestion in all probability In
The stomach, that others, such as those mentioned
IN the first part of the table. aid digestion very ma.
;erially.
BREWING COMPANY'S Tannhaeuser it will be
noted that In the test-tube the average delay
u gastric digestion equaled but