Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-11-21
KING ALCOHOL.
The Effect of Ii on the Human
System
AS REVEALED BY THE MICROSCOPE.
Sharpness and Certainty of Sensations
Modified by Small Doses. but Dead
ened by Large Ones.
IS REVEALED BY THE MICROSCOPE.

Every act, of course, destroys sub
stance, which must be replaced. Ma.
terial taken from outside does this work
of rebuilding, and it is of two sorts
one, which is enough like body sub
stance to be readily changed into it and
express the same activities; the other,
so unlike that if it once finds way into
the body in such form as to express its
own latent power, it Injuries or de-
stroys-is poison. Alcohol belongs to
tho second class. That it Injuries can
be readily seen in the liver, kidneys
and stomach of drunkard, and also in
more delicate changes of the elements
revealed by a microscope, where the
quantity taken has been even small
one. A physiological examination
proves always beyond doubt that, where
any appreciable quantity of alcohol has
been taken, there are changes in the
body substance, not always indeed
wholly proportionate to the quantity
taken, because the living elements have
always more or less power to resist
and overcome. While the influence
of alcohol ON the elements of the
body is so evident and important, it
is yet only as that influence touches
the nerves that we are conscious of it.
This becomes real to us in two ways:
First, through the senses of taste and
smell, as it touches the outward body,
and, secondly, when it has entered
into the blood and begins its chemical
working in the nerve centers. How
far shall we count these influences
pleasurable? We are wont to count
them one, but in physiological sense
they are very different, resulting from
the action of very different parts of the
drink taken. Wine, for instance. is
made up of six elements. five of which
give the taste, the sixth the fragrance of
the wine. One Of the five is alcohol,
the only one which cannot be enjoyed
alone, and is never taken alone except
by the man whose sense of taste has
been utterly destroyed.
The effect of wine upon the brain
and other nerve centers is that of the
alcohol alone. To understand it phys
iologically one must remember the or
dinary action of the nerves. An i'm
preston from without meets us, the
nerves carry it SO the nerve center, and
a movement or other expression re-
suits. The movement does not, how
ever, always accompany the sensation
directly. In reading, for instance,
one may indefinitely postpone any ex-
preston of received Impressions; and
then a single action may express a
number of stored-up impressions, or
again one impression may call forth a
number of movements. Man has
learned to in some sense measure the
relation of movement to sensation-as
to rapidity of movement, and as to the
relative strength of the two. 1t is
found, first, that the sharpness and
certainty of sensations are modified by
even small doses of alcohol, completely
deadened or destroyed by large guam
titles. Secondly, as to the express
sion of sensation in motion, small
doses of alcohol increase the quickness
of that expression large doses make
it slower and more slow until at last
there is no expression. Thirdly as to
the movements themselves, small doses
make them more rapid, but less sure of
attaining the end sought; large doses
tend to make movements impossible.
And popular experience bears witness
to the truth of these three statements,
only the masses cannot understand how
the rapidity with which action follows
impression and rapidity of action itself
are increased by small doses but decreas
ed by larger quantities, and the friends
of alcohol have claimed that the differ
ence between small and large doses is
real. not of degree, and really distin-
guishes the moderation of the wise man
from the madness of the foolish. But
science has proved that this contradic-
tion is only apparent. The same in
creased rapidity of expression of SEN
sation is noticed when the brain is
stupefed. and the greatest rapidity re-
suits when the brain is entirely sepa-
rated from the other centers Reflex
action is more sudden and more rapid
than brain action. So the influence of
alcohol is exactly as if the brain were
cut away. The man no longer stops to
consider the whole situation, to make
use of impressions of former experiences
stored away in his brain, or weigh
present obligations, and the sly saloon
keeper we'll understands this. The man
who would engage another in brawl
or cajole secret from him knows we'll
how alcohol dethrones reason and
loosens the tongue. And as more and
more is taken, the stupefying influence
reaches lower and lower, until at last
even reflex action is imperfect and
slow.
If this then is the influence, where
is the pleasure in it? 1t clearly cannot
lessen the power Of outside influences