Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-07-20

the cares or his mind and Danish unhappy re-
Elections. Fermented liquors are the agents by
which this is accomplished. And then it would
not be uninteresting to remark that this light
ming Of care is widely and extensively attained.
The chemical substance by the use of which
it is brought about. is everywhere one and the
same.
The savage as well as the civilized tribes,
near and remote. have found out by Some COM
mon and instructive process, the art of prepar-
ing fermsnted drinks and procuring for them
selves the enjoyments and miseries of intoxi-
cation.
1t matters not what material ia used for this
purpose, whether the tody of the palm tree,
the sap Of the aloe, the juice of the sugar cane,
the syrup of honey, the wine of the grape, the
expressed liquors of the apple and pear or the
most of matted grain, in every instance, the
substance called alcohol, is produced by fer
mentation. and forms the intoxicating ingre-
dent of the liquor.
And lastly-he desires to multiply his enjoy
ments, intellectual and animal. This he at
tains by the use of narcotics.
Alcohol being the product of vinous fermen-
tation must, of necessity, exist in all vinous
liquors. and may be obtained from them by
distilation. Vinous liquors contain alcohol
oring matter, volatile oil, extraotive ethereal
substances. and varions acids and salts.
This is introduced to dissipate the erroneous
impression existing in the minds of great
many young men and ladies', and possibly in
Obliged in by some older ones. that wines and
the lighter drinks contain no alcohol, and there
fore not injurious Nevertheless, their excess
sive and long continued use is most serious
both physically and morally.
Alcohol is q very powerful systemic diffus-
bic stimulant. When taken in diluted state,
in the form Of whisky, brandy, &c., it excites
the system, makes the pulse move full, gives
additional energy to the untired muscles, and,
to certain degree, imparting new energy to
the wearied muscles.
In some individuals the mental faculties are
temporarily sharpened by alcohol. They grow
more laxative. humorous and witty. This is
made the plea for indulgence by many writer's
and public speakers. While in other individu-
ais the mental faculties are blunted-they be-
come sluggish, morose and irritable. Indeed,
it is hard to imagine anything more variable
than the immediate effects of alcohol on differ
emit individuals. Intoxication, delirium, par
alysis of sensibility loss of muscular motion,
and in some instances, if the quantity be ex-
cessive, death,
Prof. Flint says: "As a rule this mental ex-
altation produced by alcohol is followed by re-
action and depression, except in debiltated or
exhausted conditions of the system, when it
seems to aupply 9 decided want
Is alcohol retained in the system2 If so, does
1T act as food, is it thrown off from the sys-
tenn in an unchanged state? In regard to these
propositions, statements by psychologists are
somewhat conflicting. But l am inclined to
the theory that when alcohol is taken ~ large
quantities, that 1t acts as a narcotic poison to
the nerve centres and that it is thrown OF by
the enupctartes in an unchanged state. Dr.
Percy long ago found pure alcohol in the brain
and liver of men who had died of excessive
drinking. In these experiments Dr. Percy not
only found the alcohol infiamible but capable
of diss0lving camphor. Hence we conclude
that, under ordinary conditions, when the or
ganism can be adequately supplied with food,
that alcohol 10 not only unnecessary but inju-
rious. We often hear men cay that they must
have q dram or they will freeze. And yet
proof Ia lacking that alcohol enables men to
endure very low degree of temperature for
any great length of time. To accomplish this
an increased quantity of food is required. On
this point will quote DIR. Hayes, the arctic en-
plorer. He says: "While fresh animal food
and especially fat, is absolutely essential to in
habitants and travellers in the arctic countries,
alcohol Is. in almost any shape, not only com.
pletely useless, but positively injurious Cir
cumstances may occur under which it's admin
istration seems necessary-sueh. for instance,
as great prOstration from long continued ex-
posture and exertiOn, or from getting wet; but
then it should be avoided If possible, for the
succeeding reaction is always to be dreaded;
and IL place of safety is not near at hand the
immediate danger is only temporarily guard
ed against. and becomes hnailY greatly aug
mented BY reason of decreased vitality. Ii given
at all 1t should be given in very small ouanti-
ties frequently repeated, and continued until a
place of safety is reached. ] have known the
most unpleasant consequences to result from
the injurious use Of whisky for the temporary
stimulation, and have also known strong, able
bodied men to become utterly incapable of re-
sisting cold in consequence of the long conIin-
ued use of alcoholic drinks
Sucn are soIqe or the phenomena produced
by alcohol upon the human economy. But
pardon me; before we have done, wish to say
something about dipso-mania, or chronic
drunkenness. DR.. Bunting says: Drunken
ness is not disease, but sin, and not hered-
itary." DIR. Bunting is undoubtedly in error
in bis first and thir propositions, but right in
his second proposition. Now the definition of
disease is given as-"Any alteration from q
perfect state of health Drunkenness soon
becomes both physical and a mental disease.
1t is well established fact, beyond controver-
sy, that morbid impressions upon the system
become transmissible to offspring upon the
law-"like produces like" "This may be such
only in its tendencies or possibilities as other
strong impressions upon the mental and phys
ical systems become" Can the most incred.
ul0us doubt that the proclivities of this vice,
Ike etaer melfai and physical traits, may be
handed down from parent TO child, Just as
physical forms OF beauty or deformity are.
There are exceptions to this law, as there are
to other laws of like nature, and we should re-
member that there are counter-active infiu-
eneee. moral and religious, in restraining he
reditary tendencies, such, for example, as that
innate principle. ..i!-~'f-4staem. or love of APP
provatien," which often protects the youth
from this and other ruinous habits.
It is estimated that perhaps two-thir!s of all
cases are the results of inherited tendency
fostered by bad association in early life. before
the counteracting influences, moral and reli
gious, have been brought to bear upon young
and susceptible minds. 1t is very easy matter
to produce alcoholism or iipso-mania, but ex-
eeedingiy hard TO cure. 1t very soon plants it,
SELF IN our physical and psychical beings, so
that It is very nearly impossible TO eradicate IT.
Have you not Witnessed with a sad heart