The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-06-22
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
INToxIcANTs AND DIGESTION
The Damaging Effects of Alcohol Upon
the Human stomach.

st is too late, with the present
amount of scientific knowledge, to
claim that alcohol is in any sense a
food, or that it is capable of imparting
any strength, vigor or endurance. 1t
not only does not, can not afford any
real strength, but exhausts it, in con-
sequence of an undue and unnatural
activity, this activity being so forced
as to be exercised under very unfavor-
able circumstances, wasting an unusual
amount of vital force. This alcohol is
a virulent poison, produced by the un-
warranted destruction of nutrition
though utterly innutritious of itself
always and everywhere antagonizing
every function of the human body, con-
tanning nothing which is really needed
as means of promoting health which
can not be obtained elsewhere. Every
organ, muscle membrane, surface and
fiber of the body as if guided by in
tuition, practically regards it as a foe,
all arousing themselves to resist this
aggressor, forcing it on it's course, Wig
orously fastening it's movements, in
tent upon it's election at the earliest
ton, natures effort to resist such en-
croachments-this unnatural activity
always being followed by depression
and weakness. While stimulation is
so well known to be depressing, ex-
hausting physical power, it is unac-
countable that the intelligent and
scientific should so often resort to it,
as a medicinal agent, when the system
is struggling with disease, in the most
unfavorable circumstances. thus in
creasing the labors of the recuperative
forces in contending with disease.
Now, as the system is dependent on
the daily food for it's sustenance, this
being prepared for its use by the diges-
tive process, it is important to have this
process in it's best condition, particular
ly when one is enfeebled by disease. In
disease, no medicinal agent is appropri-
ate which will not favor normal diges-
ton, aid and cooperate with the recu-
perative forces in the removal of such
disease, instead of antagoniZing every
function of the system. 1t should be
ever remembered that alcohol is entire
ly unlike all articles acknowledged as
food; that, as it is never digested, like
real food. undergoing no perceptible
change in its passage through the body,
it can not serve any of the purposes of
acknowledged food. 1t would be in
deed fortunate if it would prove itself
to be simply inert, etfecting neither
good nor harm. BY the experiment.
made in Alexis st. Martins case, it
was proved that a small indulgence
produced slight Inflammation of the
coats of the stomach, this increasing
with the continued use, while, in few
days, actual liberation resulted, every
change in the appearance of his stom-
ach being perfectly visible. This man
was unusually robust, while we may
suppose that such effects would be still
more marked and dangerous, when
the same spirits are used by the
feeble patient, even though called med
icine Alcohol is never welcomed in
the human system, but is always treat
ed as foe, disorganizer. Nature
never appropriates it, but it is absorbed
and hurried out of the system by the
various excretive organs, etc, treated
as an element not needed. In addition
to the expulsive action of the kidneys.
we have abundant evidence that the
lungs do the same, the unchanged alco-
hol being detected in the breath of the
drinker During the short time that it
is permitted to remain in the stomach,
it's membranes are contracted, shriv-
eied, preventing the natural flow of the
gastric juice, besides producing forma-
ton of mucous on the surface, to still
greater extent preventing this natural
flow. All of this must materially dis
turb digestion, to that extent diminish
ing the nourishment of the system,
since only digested food is of any prac-
teal advantage. 1t is also true that
when the digestive, gastric juice is in
contact with alcohol. the pepsin-a
very important element, which
acts only when combined with
the other constituents of this juice,
is precipitated, of course rendered in
operative, useless If true that the
vigorous and robust are sustained in
their usual health, only when the stom-
ach and digestive juices are in their
the Creators designs. it is manifest that
the enfeeb led and diseased must suffer
when medicinal agent is taken which
necessarily and at all times produces a
general commotion and antagonism in
the body, robbing them of nutrition,
practically, when they are sinking for
the want of food stimulation. which
differs widely from alcoholic stimula-
ton.
II will briefly add that when expert
ments were made in artificial digestion
by one well calculated to investigate
this matter-when beef was put into
gastric juice and water, the digestion
was completed in ten hours, while,
when alcohol was substituted for the
water, no perceptible change was eff
fected in that time, this being practic-
ally true when pale ale was used,
though little change in the appear
ance of the beef was noticed. but no di-
gestion. DIR. j. II. Hanaford, in Ma
tional Temperance Advocate.
TERRIBLE INDICTMENT.
An Awful Array of Charges Against the
Dram Shop.
Rev Thomas Dixon. jr, pastor of the