The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-03-27

smoker and the victim of every other
narcotic who all cherish the profound
conviction that their particular drug is
both necessary and beneficial to them,
must be accepted as equally conclusive.
And so must the widely-spread and ex-
tending use of these drugs and tobacco
be taken to prove that the vitality of
the nation by whom they are used is
thereby increased.
1t is sufficient to state the proposition
thus to expose the absurdity of the plea.
1t is perfectly certain that the use of a
narcotic can not become common and
general without injury to the race, and
it is equally certain that any one of
these narcotics has the power so to alter
the nervous system of the individual
who uses 1t habitually as to cause GER
tain uneasy sensations when it is alb
stained from, sensations which are re-
lieved directly by dose of the drug.
Hen ce the existence of longing desire
for narcotic drug is one of it's essential
symptoms The feeling of benefit or ne
cessity, the difficulty, however slight in
some cases, of abandoning it's use, can
not be absent if we are dealing with a
narcotic. Alcohol is no exception to
the rule. There are those in whom this
desire or craving overmasters every con-
sideratiOn; but there are thousands more
in whom this overm astering craving is
in process of development, and vast
numbers besides in whom it will never
reach such a height, but is in its first or
second stages. These are the people
who ''could give it up, you know" but
who never want to do so, and who never
do. The difficulty in persuading people
that alcoholic liquors do not do them
good, or in getting them to give them
up for other peoples sake. arises chiefly
from the fact that alcohol is a narcotic
like the rest.
It seems to me useless to attempt to
argue with mans feelings. One can
never convince him that he does not
feel this or that The only thing to be
done is to convince him that his feel
ings are misleading him.
As to the influence on the race, the
proof of that is being slowly accumu-
lated by the results of life insurance
individual, experiment can alone settle
this question. The man mast be tested,
and if he is equally as good man, that
is, if his powers are quite as great with
alcohol as without it, then we must ad-
nit that no immediate harm is pro-
duced and that the only injury is re-
mote and gradual.
DR.. Lauder Brunton has published the
results of some interesting experiments
performed by Kraepelin in 1882. These
are so decisive and 50 important that
they ought to be stock arguments OF
every total abstainer. The object of the
investigation was to discover the time
required for the performance of mental
functions and the effect of drugs upon
them. Nerve force travels much slower
than electricity, and hence it takes an
appreciable time for signal to be seen,
recognized and returned. If the time is
longer when under the influence of a
drug it is clear that this drug has inter
fered withthe production and transmits
sion of the nerve current Kraeplin
performed three sets of experiments
GAY to find the time required tor simple
reaction, that is, tor the message to 20
in and be returned, (b) for discrimina-
ton, icy for decision.
(G) The time required for simple reac-
ton was determined by marking auto
matically upon drum revolving at a
uniform speed the precise moment at
which colored flag was exhibited. As
soon as the person experimental on per-
ceived this he pressed key which, by
electricity, made another mark on the
drum. This had meanwhile revolved a
certain distance. according to the time
taken up by the passage of the impulse
from the retina of the eye to the brain,
it's recognition therein, and it's trans
mission to the motor nerves and muscles
of the arm which pressed the key.
10y The time required for discrimina-
ton was tested in a similar way, but in
this case there were two flags, red and
blue, and the signal was only to be
given when the flag was shown which
had been previously agreed on. The
time taken up in considering this point
prolonged the interval, and the differ
ence by which this exceeded the time in
oAAo PAo'AVuo OAH0IAWcut 4uu1C6UOU Gu0
time consumed in this process.
(cj The time required for decision was
arrived at by having to give different
signal for the red and blue flags re-
spectively. Hence the person had not
only to distinguish them, but to decide
which key to press
Several drugs were experimental on,
but / wish to call special attention to
the fact that alcohol prolonged all these
periods. 1t took longer both to signal,
to discriminate and to decide; in fact,
all these mental processes were slower
after taking it. This is entirely in ac-
cordance with previous observations.
and there can be no doubt whatever
that the role of alcohol is that of mar
cotic. But there is one most significant
remark which l quote from Dr.. Brunton.
He says: THE influence of alcohol upon
physical processes is curious; for while
it renders them much slower, the indi-
vidual under its influence believes them
to be much quicker than usual.n