The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-10
BEER AND DIGESTION
What DR.. Hare, Of tho 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 Tor
eonyaIesccnt as 10 which alcoholic beverage OF \
mild and pleasant character no can recommend
with tho least fear OF "upsettlng" tho stomach.
Tho writer has, therefore, Attempted 70 decias
this question.
Before passing TO direct consideration OF tho
methods employed and tho results obtained It Is
necessary that tow physiological and therapeutic
cal points DO brought forward. Every one knows
that alcohol retards digestion In the test tubs, but
aids 1t In tho stomach and while these facts seem
somewhat pAradoxfcat. they arc. 10 reality, per
fectly logical, for tho following reasons
In the tcst.tubC wO have u given quantity OF
digestive and on which tho alcohol may act, and
we cannot have any Increase In tho quantity OF
that uId, because II Is surrounded by glass walls
In tho stomach tho alcohol acts quite rs much on
tho digestive ferment as itdoes on the teattuoe'
but It Also by the presence OF that vlscus' Oxcles
the gastric glands 10 such m oxtont that an excess
ofgaStric juice iss0croted suttclentto countoroal'
Anco any Antldlgestive intinoncoa In othSr
words, tho action Of the spirit on tho living tissue
ia creator than Its action on the digestive formenA
Iu0OfHtlE1llyHA lCunul 1uSAiA HVfSs 80 NSS- -
Indigestion or In conditions Of gastric weakness;
practically. every physician OF experience or eau-
cation gives alcohol under just these clrcum'
stances, and very properly too. gives the stronger
alcoholic preparations instead ofthe weaker. In
typhoid fever we give brandy or whiSEy In the
Hrst stages, almost solely for the purpose OF In
crcASinE digestion.
Il Is also known, by those interested In such
matters In tho profession, that beer aids digestion
but little, or nj ALL by means Of Its alcohol since
that constituent Is present 30 diluted form and
in such small quantity that Il can neither a!d d.
gestion to any extent by acting on tho coats OF tho
stomach nor rctard 1t by influencing the digestive
fluid ItBhould not DO forgotten that whlle al a.
coholc fluids theoretically rctard Digestion
that beer does 80 much less than brandy or whisky
owing to its small amount ofGfcohof and while, as
has already been shown, this fact rather obtains
against It's practical use, that thiss overcome by
tho carbonlc acid and bitter principles ofthc beer.
which stimulate, excite and act Rs bitter tonics on
tho gastric glands,
Beers, TO DO wholesome. should. therefore, con-
tain carbonlc acid and blttcr principles to tai :
degree the alcohol taking suhsorvicnt and al
most useless role 80 iRr as digestion is CONCERNED.
To sum I'M tho results OF these experiments, wO
and that tho beers examined varied In their action
asmuch as flty.nInO minutes, and that while most
Doors do not tctard dIgcStIon In all probability In
the stomach, that others, such a. those mentioned
In the rst part OF the table. aid digestion vory ma
terially.
Thus, In the case OF tho BERGNER & ENGEE
BREWING coMPANY'S Tannhaeuscr II will b
noted that even In tho testtube tho average delay
In gastric digestion eQualCd but