The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-06-24
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL.


All intoxicants consist OF water, a
1umber of other substances dissolved
in it, and alcohol. Every person
knows that the latter is the only thing
that causes 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 au 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
cohol out of beer, and it is 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 II
favor It is the alcohol which pro.
duces intoxication, il imbibed in suf-
ficient 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 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 to fill the person with
serene and perfect self-eomplacency.
His feelings and Troublesome 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 hazy, soft hum
ming seems to fill the pauses in the
conversation, a filmy haze obscures the
vision, the victim finds it 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. l3
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
of the poison until, in the state COM
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.
lation. 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. lobe 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 drink 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 ALEC.
hol was noted on the breath, showing
that in that short time it had been abb
sorbed, passed into the blood and was
being expelled by tile lungs.
Getting intD the circulation ii 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 setsup an irritation
which frequently causes an incurable
disease to that very important organ
oirrhosis of the liver, better known u
"hobnail liwer"-the kidneys are stimn,
lated and irritated. and long indulgence
in the drinking habit leads to incurabls
disorders. The skin is also affected ant
does its part in expelling the alcoho
from the system. In point of fact al
the excretory organs set at work y
soon as the alcohol gets into the sys
TEN, in the endeavor to- rid the body O.
the poison. The liver; kidneys, lung
and skin are all Overstimulated i'm thi
effort.
We hope, we have made it clear il
this brief resume of the action of al
cohol that it is absolutely and entirel,
poison 1t is in mo- sense a food !
Injuries the brain, the nerves, over
excites the heart, irritates the stom
ach, liver and kidneys; never does an,
good, but always harm. There is n
reason against and every reason 70
putting its sale and use under the sam
restrictions and precautions as the sail
of any other poison.
Why, then, is this not done? Simpl
> because there is too much money il
the business of selling rum. 1t is tn
gain that comes to those whose occupa
ton it is to manufacture and sell il
, that has thrown together for mutua
protection all these people. They us
their influence, and their wealth, an
the power they have over the besotte
victims of drink, to prevent as far a
possible any interference by the stat
/ with their debasing aud soul-destroyin
, | oocunatiop