Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-05
Beer AND DIGESTION
What DR.. Hare, OF the University oil
Pennsylvania, Says About 1t.

Dr.U. A. Hare. demonstra,or OF experimental
therapeutics and Instructor in physical diagnosis
In tho University OF Pennsylvania, says the phys-
elan Il frequently puzzled when prescribing for
convalescent IS to which alcoholic beverage OF
mild and pleasant character he can recommsnd
with tho least fear OF "upsetting" tho stomach.
The writor has therefore, attempted 20 dsclds
this question.
Before passing 20 \ dlrec, consideration Of tho
methods employed and the results obtained Il Is
necessary that few physiological and thsrapeuu'
cal points he brought forward. Every one knows
that alcohol rotards digestion In the test tube bur
adsi In the stomach and while these facts seem
somewhat paradoxicsl. they arc, IN reality. per-
fectly logical for the following reasons
In the tesi-tuoe we have a given quantity OF
digestive nuld on which tho alcohol may act, and
we cannot have any increase in the quantity OK
that fluid, because IL IS surrounded by glass walls
In tho stomach tho alcohol acts quite as much on
the digestive ferment as It does on the test-tube,
built also by the presence OF that viscu1 sxcltes
the gastric glands to such extent that an excess
OF gastric Juice Is secreed suo.entt to counterhai-
Ance any an,l-disssilye influences In other
words, the action OF the spirit on the living tissue
Is greater than It's action on the digestive fermen
Theoretically, alcohol should never DO used In
Indigestion or en- conditions Of gastric weakness;
practically. oyery physician OF experience or edu-
cation gives alcohol under Just these circum.
stances, and very properly too gives the stronger
alcoholic preparations instead OF the weaker In
typhoid fever we give brandy or whisky 10 the
first stages almost solely for the purpose OF In
crensng digestion.
Il "a also known, by thoso Interested In such
matters I'm the profession that beer aids digestion
but little, or AZ all by means Of its alcohol since
that constituent IS present IN so diluted torn and
IN such small quantity tlat it can neither aid d.
Seston TO any extent By acting tho coats Of the
stomach nor re.ard It by influencing the digestive
fluid II should not b. forgotten that wnilc All Al
coholc fluids theoretically retard gastric digestiou.
that beer does 80 nucn iess than brandy or whisky
owing 20 rs smailamount ofalcohol and while, as
has already been shown. this fact rather obtains
against rs practical use. that taisis overcome By
the carbonlc acid and bitter principles ofthe beer
which stimulate, excite AMI act as bitter tonci on
the gastric glands.
Beers. TO be wholesome. should. Therefore con.
tain carbonlc acid aud bitter principles 70 ialr
degree the alcohol taking subservient and al
most useless role so far digestion is concerned
Tosum mp the results Of these experiments We
hnd that the beers examined varied In their action
as much as ni,y-nlne Minutes, aud that while most
beers do not teiard digestion Ia all probability I'm
the stomach. that others. such rs those mentioned
In the FIRST part OF the table aid digestion very Ia.
terlaiiy.
Thus. in the case OF the BERGNFR 4 ENGFL
BREWING CoMPANY's Tsunhaeuser Il will be
noted that even In the testepbe the average delay
In gastric digestion equsled b1t