The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-01-11
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL.

1t Does Not Aid Work and Retards d.
gestion.
The actual effect of alcohol upon the
human system is a subject which has
excited considerable interest of late
years among physicians, and has at
tracted some attention from mankind
at large. The average man is probably
aware, or has been aware at some
period of his life, of certain effects"
of pleasant forms of alcohol upon the
system, and may contend with himself
that alcohol in moderate quantities is
not only good for his health, but neces-
sary for it. Whether this be true or
not, he may learn by reading the opin-
ion of scientists appended herewith.
From Il publication entitled Cab
normal Man." issued by the bureau of
education and complied by Arthur
Macdonald, the specialist, are gathered
the opinions expressed below, being
from the pens of a number of the most
celebrated writers upon sociology in
the world
The alcoholic question is above all
physiological one. We know that al
chohol is consumed in our body, that
it is "a source of living force; but it
does not follow that it is food until
this power is shown to aid the working
of normal functions. We do not know
whether the muscular tibers and nerve
cells can utilize alcohol as a source of
power. Alcohol lessons the heat of the
body by working an enlargement of
the blood vessels in the skin, in conse-
quencc of which more warm blood
flows TIN ough the cold surface and
more heat is given out The en-
largement of the blood vessels comes
in this way: In the walls of the blood
vessels there are small ring muscles,
which are in constant contraction. The
cause of this contraction comes from
certain nerve fibcrs, which run to the
ring muscles, and they all have COM
mon center in the brain. Alcohol par
aly2es this center; the nerve irritation
ceases, the ring muscles relax, the
blood vessels are widened and the skin
becomes richer in blood recognized by
the COLOR. The reddening of the cheeks
after drinking wine, which is the effect
of alcohol, is a pathological phenome-
non.
The ordinary man says alcohol warns
him in cold weather. This is a self
deception; he feels simply the warm
blood streaming out to the skin in
greater quantities. AS a matter of
fact he loses heat. The deception
comes, perhaps, in this way: The
brain centers, which mediate the feel
ing of cold, are stupefied by paralysis.
In general it can be proven that all eff
fects of alcohol which are generally
designated excitation are in reality
only paralytic phenomena. The psy-
chical effects are especially so. The
brain function, which is first weak
ened is the clear Judgment or critical
faculty. In consequence the emo
tional life prevails, freed from the
chains of criticism; the man becomes
open-hearted and careless. But above
all the paralytic effect of alcohol
shows itself in this, that every feeling
of discomfort and pain is benumbed,
and especially the bitterest Of pains.
the psychical ones. as sorrow and anX-
iety, wherefore the merry feeling in a
drinking company. A man never be-
comes clever through drink. This wide
spread prejudice is also deception; it
is likewise symptom of brain paraly-
sis, where, as self-criticism sinks, self
sufficiency rises and self-control is lost.
He who becomes accustomed to take
alcohol regularly is in fact better capa-
of nrly irf ha oil nhN1
denly taken away from him. But this
is the case also with other poisons.
When morphine is taken away from
the morphine-eater he can not work,
sleep nor eat. He is strengthened"
through morphine. But he who is not
accustomed to narcotics is not made
more capable OF work through mar
cotics. ut of still more weight are
the thousands of experiments that oc-
in peace, in all climates, all hardships
of the most wearisome marches are
best endured when the soldier abstains
wholly from all alcoholic drinks
These facts are verified in the English
armies in Coffraria, West Africa, Cana
da and India. And additional vertical
ton is the fact that thousands
of sailors are not allowed to touch
a drop of alcohol on board, and this
in tropical, temperate and espe-
cially in polar regions. Most whale
fishers are total abstainers. That
which is true of bodily exertion is as
true of mental. Alcohol strengthens
no one; it simply benumbs the feeling
of fatigue.
The error of poor people in this re.
gard is especially unfortunate, as they
spend much for alcoholic drinks to
strengthen. them instead of buying
rich and salutary food The advocate
of beer claims that it IS nutritious
True. beer contains considerable
quantity of hydrocarbons, dextrin, and
sugar But there is a surplus of this
in food already; and there is no reason,
also, why it should be taken in q more