The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-08-17
MEDICAL DlsUSE OF ALCOHOL.


Liquors III sickness.
Il have been fully engaged in the
general practice of medicine. including
much hospital and dispensary work,
continuously for a period of tifty-six
years. During the last forty-tive of
those years | have prescribed for in
ternal use no forms of either fernented
or distilled liquors in the treatment of
either acute or chronic diseases, simply
because had previously proved to my
own satisfaction that their effects We're
a positive hindrance to the recovery of
my patients. During all those years
have embraced every opportunity pre-
scented by consultations with other prac-
titioners, to study the clinical results OBJ
tanned by them, and | am certain that
there is no disease that can not be
treated more successfully without alco-
holic liquors than with.
In studying the mode by which alco-
hol produces its effects while in the liv-
ing human system, it is necessary to
appreciate the full import of the follow
ing propositions:
l. All nerve sensibility and force, and
all natural molecular or metabolic
changes, nutritive, secretory and disin-
tagrating, taking place in the living
tissues, are absolutely dependent on
the presence and movement of blood
containing its natural proportion of
oxygen,
=. The oxygen needed in the blood is
received from the pulmonary air cells
by the hemaglobin and serum of the
blood and in them conveyed to the sys-
temic capillaries, where it comes in
contact with, and eXerts its influence
on, every cell and structure of the
body,
,. Alcohol at ordinary temperatures
of the air, or even of that of the living
human body. manifests but Il very
feeble affinity for oxygen, but does
manifest very strong affinity for
water, albumen and hemaglobin. act
ing upon them readily at all ordinary
temperatures.
If, therefore, alcohol sufficiently di-
luted to permit it's circulation in the
blood, should be introduced, either by
the stomach or any other method, in
stead of uniting with the oxygen, it
presents its superior affinity for the
hemaglobin and serum albumen, and
thereby directly interferes with their
reception of more oxygen from the pull
monary air-cells. 1t is thus that the
presence of the alcohol hinders the
hemaglobin from being converted into
oxv-hemaglobin in the pulmonary
capillaries, and in the same ratio
diminiSheS the amount of oxygen con-
veyed to the systemic capillaries; and
IN the same ratio. also. the nerve sensi
bility and metabolic changes diminish.
This affords full explanation of the
facts now admitted by all who have
carefully studied the subject. namely,
that the presence Of the alcohol retards
both nutritive and disintegrative
changes diminishes eXcretory products
ami temperature, and lessons nerve
se1sibility and force.
An explanation of these admitted
facts mas been hitherto, and still is,
sought for on the supposition that the
alcohol simply unites with oxygen of
the blood and thereby prevents or
diminishes the action Of the latter on
the tissue elements of she body, and
vet generates heat and some kind of
force The fatal defect in this old
combustion or oxidation theory is, that
no investigator has been able to find
the legitimate products of such oxida-