The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-10-23
OF NO EARTHLY USE.
The Eject OF Alcoholic Liquors on the
Bodily Hystom.

OF NO EARTHLY USE.
The Encct OF Alcoholic Liquors on the
Bodily system.
One of the greatest hindrances to
temperance reform is the widespread,
but erroneous belief of the masses that
rum in some form-wine, beer or ale, or
whisky-is in some way of benefit to
the bodily economy. They discoun-
tenance its immoderate use, but think
that in smaller quantities it is bene-
fetal. This error is supported by many
physicians, especially those Of conserva-
tive ideas, who do not keep up with the
rapid strides their profession is making.
The highest medical authorities of this
country and OF Europe are agreed that
alcohol is never food, and that as q
medicine its place can largely be sup
piled by other safer and better rem
edies. Tho most Of the conservatives
quote theory proposed many years ago
that, up to a certain point--from an
ounce up to an ounce and half daily
alcohol is consumed in the human sys-
tenn, and that up to this point it is not
only harmless, but acts the part of a
food. You will find this theory quoted
to-day, in defiance of the fact that its
fallacy was clearly proved years ago.
Let us examine the effect upon the
organs of the body Of the introduction
of alcohol, in any form of rum-for no
one would think of drinking rum if it
was not for the alcohol in it, 1t must
take it's place among the following five
classes:
First--As ono of tho true foods,
WHICH supply new material to build up
the bodily tissues:
Second-As one of the accessory foods,
which, while not performing the Office
of true foods, yet facilitate nutrition,
like salt or the acid principle of fruit.
paired functions of some organ of the
body.
Fourth-As a poison, producing in
furious effects upon the bodily functions
| or tissues.
Fifth-As an inert body, which passes
| through the alimentary canal without
being absorbed or producing any effect
| whatever, as do small seeds, for in
| stance.
These classes cover tho case of every
! article taken into the stomach, and al.
| cohol necessarily comes under one OF
them. Every one knows that it does
not come under the fifth class; this is
| 'self-evident, from the effect it pro-
duces. Under which of the other four
| classes does it come? TO test this let a
Ca psule be filled with rum and swal:
lowed. OF course not particle touches
! tongue or mouth. In short time its
odor can be perceived on the expired
| breath, showing that it is being thrown
off by the lungs. A chemical examina-
rion of the perspiration and urine shows
that they contain it in an unchanged
state. Therefore three excretory organs
of the body-the lungs, kidneys and
skin-set to work as soon as alcohol gets
into the blood to get it ont of the sys-
TEN, and it comes out unchanged.
This excludes it from the first class.
1t can not be food, for all the foods are
.assimilated by the system, and. after
performing their function of producing
heat or force, or building up tissue, are
ical form from the original one. Sugar,
for instance, is heat-prodncing food.
1t is thrown off from the lungs, not as
sugar, but as carbonic acid gas-and
from the other excretory organs in
various combinations, but not as sugar
The same is true of all other true foods.
No ohc of them is thrown off in an
unchanged form.
Nor is it an accessory food-one that
facilitates natures processes. The medi-
cal verdict is that it does exactly the
opposite. 1t hinders digestion, for ex-
ample. Now in this we know the popular
opinion is just the opposite. At state
dinner, for instance. when very large
quantity of food is taken into the
stomach, the general idea is that liqnor
Of some ]lind-wine or &brandy-facili.
tates digestion by aiding the stomach
in the work of getting rid of the mass of
food. The fact is, however, that it does
nothing of the sort. 1t deadens the
nerves of the stomach, 80 that we lose
! consciousness of the uncomfortable load.
The process of digestion is retarded by
two or three hours.
1t is proved. that alcohol--and of
course rum-diminishes the rapidity of
tissue change. Now this, in healthy
man, is an evil, for it keeps in tho sys-
tenn molecules of matter which, having
fulfilled their office, are but burden,
and need to be thrown off. But alcohol
prevents this; hence the unhealthy
load of fat which the bloated and
blotched drunkarl carries about with
him, if he have plenty of foot to eat.
Alcohol .suspends animation-puts on
the brakes, slows up tissue change, and
conduces to passivity, or sort of life
which is perhaps more nearly allied to
death than to true living. DR.. Parkes
found that even moderate amounts of
alcohol administered to laboring man
dcranged the hearts action and greatly
lessened his working power.
Not being food, either true or access
sorry, it must belong under one of the two
remaining classos-medicine or q poi
son. But nearly all medicines are poi
sons when taken in excessive doses. DR..
Foote, of New York, speaking on this
point, says:
The origin Of alcohol will give US q strong
CIuc aS W us H8GuE0. II IL Luo prOOuCC OF pu.
trefactive processes found more In dead than in
living tissues. and its main source is the fer
mentation due to the activity Of low form Of
animal life. 1t appears to be an excrementory
product and its physiological action also con-
firms this view OF its nature. Ammonia is
another product Of excreton and the effects
Of alcohol and ammonia are 50 similar In i'm
pcrtant points that Dr. Woods puts them in
the same class in his Materia Medica. They
are called local irritants. cardiac stimulants,
ind nerve paralyzers.
If we may judge by such indications as its
chemical nature and its origin, it Is to animal
life more like an ash than like food. Unlike
food It is quickly eliminated through many
channels and while retained in the tissue it re-
strains lite action in that it is slow in the pro-.
cess Of cell growth and retards tissue change
In fact, it suspends life instead OF supporting it,
and the study Of its poisonous effects shows
that its influence is all in the direction Of
death-producing rather than life-giving: In
short 1t IL poisoner OF living tissue and q pre-
server Of dead tissue.
d.. .