The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-12-21
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
Dire Effects of Alcohol Upon the Human
hXstem.


of grape juice, corn, malt, apples, or
other starchy substances, is therefore
the enemy of life-the very ashes of
death.
Scientists agree in placing alcohol
among the most irritant, virulent and
deadly poisons to animal life. small
quantity taken pure will paralyze the
shock, kill instantly
The ordinary effect of alcohol is to
irritate and parch the mucous mem
branes of the intestines and paralyze
the nerves When taken into the sys-
tenn, either in the form of whisky,
brandy, beer, cordials, or light wines,
etc, its poisonous effects, while so eX-
hilarating as to be very fascinating,
are so deleteriouS to all the nerve It's
sues and tibers of the body that gen
eral arrangement of all the vital or
gans inevitably follows.
The effect of alcohol contained in
these beverages finds its way to the
lungs and arteries which are connected
with the heart, and they become more
or less congested and paralyzed by the
poison, and incapable of rightly per-
forming their ordinary functions; and
this burning or corroding effect COM
mences with the smallest quantity Of
alcohol taken in the system. There
fore there is no such thing as ''modera-
ton" in the use of alcoholic beverages;
the poison in them is always active in
its deadly mission, and goes on all
through the body: but the result on the
heart and brain is especially noticeable,
as these organs are very sensitive, and
are so retarded in their operations that
disease and death would rapidly ensue
were there not in nature a generous
amount of active recuperation strug-
Cling to counterfeit and eliminate the
poison.
Alcohol, being foreign, poisonous
element, even when greatly diluted, as
in beer, which contains from five to
eight per cent, of it, does not assimi-
late like food, but taxes nature with ex-
tras eXertion to eXpel the intruder, which
is partly elected through the lungs or
breath, but mostly through the pores
of the skin aud through the kidneys,
which become more or less inflamed,
and therefore INSTRUCTED by conges
ton; but enough of the poison will
linger in the system to aggravate any
disease to which the drinker is liable,
and hasten fatal termination.
This specific action of alcohol, while
producing general disturbance of and
injury to all the vital organs is
especially detrimental to the brain,
which is composed of numerous minute
cells, of gray, fatty substance, with
large proportion of water. Alcohol
has a strong affinity for water; and
when taken in the stomach, being very
volatile, portion of il goes Immediate
" toward the brain, and disturbs the
finely arranged nerve-fbers and blood
vessels so as to impair their ability to
nourish this fatty substance. In this
way it renders the brain incapable of
continuous logical thought or action,
and the man is said to be more or less
drunk" which is another way of say
ing that the mans brain is paralyzed,
or parched with inflammation and con-
gestion.
This effect can be tested by putting
4 drop of alcohol on the tongue; the
smarting, singing sensation proves
that it is parched BY the alcohol's
eagerness to absorb or get at the water
in the tongue; and this irritating effect
is the same on all the organs of the
body, besides producing craving
thirst.
continuous use of alcoholic bever-
ages produces results that are IRENE
diable. After numerous attacks on the
brain and other sensitive organs, a
chronic change takes place in the VIC
tim of alcohol. which manifests itself
in all the mans actions and character.
He generally becomes morose and stu
pid, with tendency to paroxysms of
violence, and sometimes idiotic hilarity.
His will power is sluggish or nearly
gone, and he is left to be controlled al
most entirely by his animal passions,
which are closely allied to criminal in
sanity Besides, an ever-increasing
longing is engendered for more of the
fiery liquid to crafty the cravings of
an Unsuitable appetite; and other symp-
toms follow, such as diseased fatty
degeneration, bloated body, slug
gish action of the liver and kidneys,
accompanied by red, or iDfiamed skin,
and sometimes by offensive eruptions
which can be plainly traced to alco-
holic poisoning.
Many of these indications and symp-
toms of a poisoned, diseased body
would horrify drinkers were they suffi-
GENTLY aroused, or were they anxious
or willing to believe the facts as they
develop themselves in their experience,
or could they realize that they transmit
to their posterity hereditary faint
that is too horrible to contemplate. But
the truth comes to their impaired
brains through so many insidious prob
lens of prejudice, habit and appetite,
and they are so euticed by the peasur-
able, exciting sensations, that they find
difficulty in tracing the poisonous eff
fects directly to the amount of alcohol
they consume, and SO are constantly
cheating and flattering themselves into
a conviction that they can use these
poisonous beverages with impunity.
Hence the poor victims of alcoholic pois-
oning, prompted by an imperious thirst,
go on and on, until finally chronic de-
lirium or dementia takes possession of
the brain or daatb itself thrpnub Gonna