The New South., 1893-08-19
FAULTY REASONING.
The Mistake Made BY Doctors Hsgardin
AIanhol IN hllnn niants.

/ The Mistake Made by Doctors Regarding
Alcohol IN stlmniants-
The taking of alcohol into the human
/ syNtem ID any form whether In the
gaisc 81 brandy. whisky, wine, ale or
beer Is followed by greater or less
degree of eKhslaratlon, due 70 the
amount of alcohol contained In the
| liquor and the amount Of the latter
that il imbibcd When this amount Is
excessive, intotication ia the result
When il IA small, there is apparent
only 4 degree of stimulation II is one
II the ideas prevalent among the pco-
Pie that alcoholic drinks are of value Ia
q medicinal way, on account Of the
stimulating effect they have upon the
system. because they make an III per-
son feel better for the time being, il II
assumed that they arc beneficial
This i bit If faulty reasoning The
exhilarntion produced by alcohol is but
d base counterfeit of more henlthful
condition u the system. The patient
| feels betternot because he Is really
any better, but simply because II Is a
property of this accursed liquid, when
taken III small amounts, 10 produce this
effect There are many other sub
stances that produce an cxhilarating
effect when taken into the system.
Opium is one Of thesei Indian hemp and
the cocoa leaf have the same property.
Bnt they all, alcohol included. are pois-
una The stimulation Is unnatural, and
ii every case II Is followed by reae-
tion and this reHetion Ii n depression
1f the vital powers just as far below
the normal line rs the excitement pro-
luced by the alcoholic or other poison
which produced Il carried the system
above that normal.
The action Of alcohol upon the hu-
man system follows exactly the same
law ns the action of the wind upon tho
surface Of the sea. The trough behind
the wave IN storm Is just as fnr below
the level Of the water, were II calm, as
the crest Of TINT wave Is above the
level. The depression of the bodily
powers following the drunken III is ex-
aetly rs great as was the excitement OF
the drunkenness. Any flrst-class ply
sieian knows this; yet there are thou
sands Of doctors who prescribe nlco-
holic stimnlants, especially when their
skill is at fault, or when little dieting
On the part uf the patient would be the
real remedy TO use Especially do they
resort 20 whisky and brandy and wine,
in cases of slow, wasting and incurable
diseases. Tho patient feels better for
The time being, and though he may feel
lll the worse after the fumes of alco-
hol hive left his brain, the doctors
enow that in his ignorance the patient
witl attrihute this wretchedness 70 the
disease and not 10 the medicine, and
also that he will ascribe the fictitious
strength he feels while under its swny
70 the doctors skill
Thore are few medicines which pro-
auee stimulation which Is not followed
by period Of wrctchcdncss and de-
preston such as alcohol surely
brings, and tho attention of some of
the best minds In the medical profess
sion has been turned 10 the discovery
lf others, II has been lately an-
nonnced, on eminent authority that
uitro-glycerine has been found to
aet perfectly IN this regard. II is q
true stimulant, not poisonous one; it
acts us promptly MS does alcohol, and
has none of Its baleful after.etfccts
We may soon hope, then, that no ply
'ician will have any excuse to prescribe
alcohol 90 his patients.
A physician who prescrihes alcohol,
In any form, in any quantity, even the
smallest commits u crime against hu-
manity. II Is not medicine, and has
20 regenerative power, IL is stimu-
liant, but only because IL Is poison. Its
effect Is deceptive and evaneseent, and
Is followed by n corresponding depres-
sion 81 the vital powers. It is not n
torlc because there Is nothing in IL
that Is food II builds up neither mus
Gle nor tissue, nor brain, nor nerve. 1t
is Q poison, pure and simple, As soon
as II Is taken into the body, II goes at
once into the circulation into the
blood. Every organ Of the body is set
TO work by outraged nature TO expel
tht vile stuff, The lungs exhnle IL, and
avery breath Is tainted with it's noxious
pdor, The liver, the kidneys, the skin,
III are taxed 60 rid the system of alco-
hol, Every one who works as hard rs
{ possible 20 throw II off in the shortest
time, and what wonder the system /,
! exhausted when that work is done, an6
that n depression weighs upon mint
/ and body2 .
. The stupid and hurtful belief among
Z The masses that rum is a medicin,
should be comhatted by every con
!. seieutious physician. Many a mar
now sleeps In a drnnlSard's grave wh'
A hrst awakened the rum devil in hi
sitals by taking liquor as medicine
/. Many woman has lost all, and has BE-
4 come degraded. beSotted victim +
rum through taking IL as tonic
a Teach tho people to know il as III
poison. il really is II Is as dangerou
a to handle as TO fondle serpent
Every physician in the land shoul
abandon the practice Of prescribing q
4 recommending any form Of rum as
i medicine for any bodily ailment \
permanent good can possibly come frol
Il its use, and harm is absolutely certain
Il It can not benefit and Il will surely il
lure. let the doctors Of our land a
: their duty to the people who comm
the welfare Of the body into thei
hands, and by prccept and example al
h IN the effort to pulyeriEe the rul
i. power. Toledo Blade
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