Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-12
THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL.
The Most Recent Opinions Of Eminent
English Medical Men.

From the New York Sun.
very important discussion upon the physi-
cal effects Of the drinking of alcoholic liquors
has recently taken place in the Pathological
| society Of London. 1t was continued during
several meetings. and among those participat-
ing in it were some of the most distinguished
men Of the medical profession. The moral
| side OF the question was not touched upon at
all, the inquiry being to the pathology of
| alcoholism, and the excessive use of alcohol in
| its concentrated forms was treated of almost
wholly.
In opening the debate DR.. PAYNE gave an
historical review Of the subject. from which il
appeared that up to the sixteenth century
there are very few notices in medical litera-
| ture Of the influence of inebriety in causing
disease. In the sixteenth and seventeenth CEN
turtles they are also rare. Harvey's lectures
making no direct reference TO alcoholism.
| though he described certain cases of liver
disease evidently produced by that cause. 0 But
in the period from 100 to 1850 they begin to
be frequent, the earlier part of that period
having been marked by the introduction of
distilled liquors a beverage. In 1724 the
College of Physicians made public represen-
tation as to the evils of spirit drinking and
earnest efforts were undertaken by the profess
SION to check the rapidly growing practice.
From 1850 to the present time, the era of the
rise OF pathological histology, or the depart
ment of medicine which concerns itself with
the effects of disease on the animal tissues
the subject has assumed leading Importance
AS the result of such pathological investiga-
tons, DIR. Payne and all the speakers treated
| alcohol as veritable poison; but he explained
| that he used the term poison not with unquali-
he'd condemnation, but as meaning something
| capable of producing injury, though not nee
essariy doing so, since lit would be as absurd to
condemn alcohol as to condemn common table
salt because a large dose of either of them
might be fatal" He described il as favoring
the accumulation of fat, acting as a functional
stimulus, or, III larger doses. as a functional
poison on the nervous system, especially on
the brain, and working as tissue poison, as
destroying the vitality of some tissue elements
and setting up Inflammation in others.
The coating of the stomach, the liver, and,
IN lesser degree, the kidneys are injuriouslv
affected. A very important fact brought out is
the frequency of tubercular disease in subjects
OF alcoholic paralysis, for the free drinking of
whisky has been defended as a means of ward
ing on consumption. But DIR. Owen was in
clined to think that the consumption of alcohol
had tendency to check malignant disease.
Inc Old theory that 1T prevents tubercle hav-
ing been overthrow, there would be some set
Off against the mischief alcohol does if Dr.
Owen could be proved right and the stimulant
could be shown to ward Off cancer, for malig-
nant disease seems to be on the increase. Dr.
Dickinson also observed during the discussion
that as alcohol does SO much harm, it surely
must do some good.
The changes worked by it on the brain DR..
Payne described as generally like those of old
age. Excessive drinking seems to diminish
the fertility OF both sexes, especially the male.
The preponderance of testimony is that il is
not frequent cause of Bright's disease The
organs OF respiration suffer, obstinate catarrhs
OF larynx and bronchi being common; drinking
habits make such skin diseases as psoriasis and
eczema lnveterate and sometimes quite incur
able. So far statistics obtained by the Bri-
tlsh Medical Association show, alcohol has no
influence IN inducing apoplexy, diabetes, and
pneumonia, though in the last disease prelim-
mary drinking habits impair resistance to its
ravages. Different diseases are induced by
different forms of the stimulant, govt beng
rare IN whisky-drinking country and common
| In beer-drinking.
In summing up the debate DR. Payne said
| that it had been shown that the action of al
cohol had more resemblance to the action of
mineral poisons than we have been accustomed
to think, and that those injurious effects were
produced IN a preponderating degree, if not
almost entirely, by concentrated forms of al
| coholic drinks. The harmfulness of an iniurl-
Gus quantity Of alcohol. he therefore concluded,
Is, I'm almost direct proportion to the degree
OF concentration in which it is insested."
Exceedingly long patient-'I say, doctor,
are you going, to put that mustard plaster on
my feet to draw the pain from my head?"
Doctor-'Yes; why?" 'Well, / object. I'd
rather have it where it is than draw down
".
HdrpeT's Weekly.
1t is said that very few can recognize their
own voices when reproduced by the graphic
phone. Is 1t not probable that a great MANY
would fail to recognize their real characters
were they to see them as they are? 1t is the
very few who know precisely what manner of
creatures they are. Even the best of US have
defects of which We have never SO much as
dreamed Msb,a'g Commercial Gazette.
A woman in the waiting groom of the Sd street
depot the other day had great deal of trouble
with one of her two children-a boy of seven or
eight-and a man who sat near her stood it as
long as possible, and then observed:
Madam, that boy of yours needs the strong
hand Of a father"
Yes, know it," she replied, 81 but he can't
have 1t. His father died when he was six wears
OF age, and I've done my best to get another
man and failed. He can't have what L can't
get."-DetroA Free Press
Thomas Axworthy, the city treasurer of
Cleveland. Ohio, who decamped last fall after
apprOpriating half million dollars has bought
large block of real estate at Sault Ste Marie,
Ontario.