Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-04-24
SMALL DOSES OF ALCOHOL.
Experiments Which Show Conclusiveiy 1t
Retards the Action of the Brain.

Retards the Action of the Brain.
"Ealf pint of beer can't do anybody
any harm" This is regarded as a self
evident truth by non-abstainers. Half
a pint of beer, or a glass of wine, or
couple of tablespoonful of spirits, all
containing about half an ounce of abso-
Lutte alcohol, are considered such ex-
tremely moderate quantities of these
beverages that Il seems absurd to sup
pose that any injury can result from so
small dose. The fact that so many
millions and so many generations of
the human race have taken these drinks
and pronounced them good is consid-
cred by many (even by some who might
have been expected to reason better)
conclusive proof that they must do good
rather than harm. How is this to be
settled? Is the declaration of the beer
vine and spirit drinker that he feels all
the better for his glass sufficient proof?
Is the common custom of millions
enough to prove that the drinking of
alcohol is beneficial either to the in
dividual or to the race? II it be, then
the similar declaration Of the opium
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 she plea.
1t is perfectly certain that the use of
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 it habitually as to cause GER
tain uneasy sensations when it is abb
stained from, sensations which are re-
lieved directly by dose of the drug.
Hence the existence of longing desire
for a narcotic drug is one of its essential
symptoms The feeling of benefit or me-
cessity, the difficulty, however slight in
some cases, of abandoning its 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 tn ere are thousands more
in whom this overmastering craving is
in process of development, and vast
numbers besides in whom it will never
reach such 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 narcotic,
like the rest.
1t 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 |
societies But as to the influence on the |
individual, experiment can alone settle !
this question. The man must be tested, |
and If he is equally as good man, that |
is, if his powers are quite as great, with |
alcohol as without 1t, then we must adj
init 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 so important that
L n. &c all
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 1t is clear that this drug has inter
fered withthe production and transmits
sion of the nerve current Kraeplin
performed three sets of experiments
(d) to find the time required tor simple
reaction, that is, tor the message to go
in and be returned, (6) for discrimina-
ton, (el for decision.
(d) The time required for simple reac-
ton was determined by marking auto
matically upon drum revolving at
uniform speed the precise moment at
which colored flag was exhibited As
soon as the person experimental on per
ceived this he pressed a key which, by
electricity, made another mark on the
drum. This had meanwhile revolved
certain distance, according to the time
taken up by the passage of the impulse |
nom the retina Of the eye to the BRAIN
Us recognition therein. and its trans
mission to the motor nerves and muscles
OF the arm which pressed the key.
ltl The time required for 6isoimiBa- |