Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-07-02
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL.
4 Scientific Analysis of Liquors ana Iheif
Intoxicating Properties.

All lntOxlcduIs COho-Sb -
number of other substances dissolved
in it. and alcohol. Every person
knows that the latter is the only thing
that eauses men to drink any kind OF
liquor. A quart of Madeira wine. for
instance. consists of two pounds and
little over four ounces of water; two
ounces of gummy and tartareous mat
/ ter: little over two ounces OF an oily,
! resinous matter; and two ounces and
over of alcohol Take out the alcohol.
and the remainder of the MADEIRA
wine is nauseous mess, which no one
would think of drinking. Take the al
| eohol out of beer. and it is a sour slop,
which no sane man would dream Of
taking into his mouth. Whisky con-
sists of nearly equal parts OF water and
impure alcohol, the latter containing
fusel oil and some essential ellis de-
rived from the grain, which give 1t
flavor 1t is the alcohol which pro-
duces intoxication, if imbibed in suf-
fieient quantity. There is nothing else
in any intoxicant which would COM
mend it to the palate of any man.
Now. the scientific verdict as to alco-
hol is that it is a poison, no more, no
less: and we propose in this article to
show the manner in which it acts upon
the human system. Alcohol, as poi
son, acts upon the nerve centers. Its
effects in the opening stages are mod
flied in various ways by the tempera-
ment of the individual Its action is
generally at first 20 fill the person with a
serene and perfect self-complacency.
His feelings and faculties are rendered
more intense from the stimulation of
the nerves by the poison. With most
persons this is shown by increased
vivacity of language and tendency TO
talk much more than is usual
As intoxication progresses, the senses
gradually become hay. a soft hum
ming seems to fill the pauses in the
conversation, filmy haze obscures the
vision, the victim finds II difficult to
preserve his equilibrium; next. objects
appear double, or fit confusedly before
the eyes: the drunkard becomes bOis-
ferrous. ridiculous: articulation becomes
difficult. and he finally falls to the
ground insensible-that is, he is dead
drunk From this state, after period
of deep slumber, he awakes exhausted,
feverish. sick and giddy, with throb-
bing head, ringing ears and bloodshot
eyes.
The poison first affects the lobes of
the brain. and the other nerve centers
of the cerebro-spinal system are sue
cessively brought under the influence
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monty known as dead drunk" the
only nerve centers that are not par
alyzed are those which are known as
the automatic centers. which regulate
and keep up respiration and the circu-
lat;on. Enough alcohol can be taken,
however. to paralyze these. in which
case the deep sleep of drunkenness be-
comes stupor. and then passes into
death.
There is parallel between apoplexy
and intoxication. To be drunk is sim
ply to be apoplectic. Such is the action
of alcohol upon the nervous system, and
its action upon the other parts of the
body are no less injurious When an
alcoholic drin k is taken into the stom-
ach the alcohol is rapidly absorbed
through the coats of that organ and
passes directly into the circulation.
Experiments have been tried in which
wine was administered in capsules. so
that not one particle touched the in
terror Of the mouth or throat: yet in
two or three minutes the odor of alco-
hol was noted on the breath, showing
that in that short time II had been alb
sorbed passed into the blood and was
being expelled by the lungs.
Getting into the circulation it is car
ried with the blood to every part of the
system. That which goes to the brain
produces successfully the symptoms
enumerated above; that carried to the
lungs begins to be expelled with the
expired breath of these organs. The
blood, loaded with alcohol. in passing
through the liver sets up an irritation
which frequently causes an incurable
disease to that very important organ
cirrhosis of the liver. better known as
'hobnail liver''--the kidneys are stimu-
lated and irritated. and long indulgence
in the drin king habit leads TO ineurable
disorders The skin is also affected and
AtNp ANs RdAt III tAHtiAiiA NHt dlCOuOl
from the system. In point of fact all
the excretory organs set at work as
soon as the alcohol gets into the sys-
TEN, in the endeavor TO rid the body of
the poison. The liver. kidneys. lungs
and skin are all overstimulated in this
effort
We hope we have made il clear in
this brief resume of the action of al
cohol that it is absolutely and entirely
q poison. II is in no sense a food. 1t |
injuries the brain. the nerves. over /
excites the heart. irritates the stom- !
ach. liver and kidneys; never does any /
good. but always harm. There is no |
reason against and every reason for
putting it, sale and use under the same
restrictions and precautions as the sale |
Of am other poison.
Why. then. is this not done? Simply
because there is too much money in /
the business Of selling rum II is the |
gain that comes to those whose occupa-
ton Il Is 70 manufacture and sell It. l