The San Francisco call., 1896-02-18
THE POISON IN ALCOHOL,
The League of the Cross Ad.
dressed on the Sub.
ject.
DR.. Clinton Delivered an Address
Before Large Meeting at the
Parish Church.

The st. PauI's parish branch Of the
League of the Cross held rally last even
ing ir st. PauPs Church, corner OF
Twenty-ninth and Church streets. There
was a very large attendance, including
junior and senior divisions of the league,
and parishioners, men and women, SO
that the large hall was crowded. The stage
was decorated with American flags, ana
amid this patriotic ornamentation were
seated members of the cadet corps and
the senior division.
Peter Mccormick of the executive COM
mittee of the league called the meeting to
order, and in brief speech spoke about
the temperance society and its work. The
opening address was followed by piano
duet by the Misses Kornmeyer, after
which the main feature of the evening
occupied the attention of the meeting.
This was lecture by DR.. Clinton on the
effects of alcohol on the human system.
The doctor admitted that alcoholic stimu-
lants were used literally in such diseases
as diphtheria, pneumonia and typhoid
fever to sustain the patient tenn porarily.
However, If the patient should be q person
accustomed to excessive indulgence in
liquor the chances were that he would
have but faint hope for recovery, since
stimulants would have absolutely no effect
upon his system.
The effect of alcohol on the soft tissues
is shrinkaee. Whisky on an empty
stomach absorbs, and leaves the mucous
membrane in dry condition, thus dis
turbing its natural condition, and indiges-
ton ensues. The whisky draws from the
lining of the stomach those juices needed
for digestion OF food. One drink on an
empty stomach is worse that three or four
on full one. The effect on the vital
organs is to stimulate their functions, and
this condition IS followed by depression,
so the excessive use of alcoholism is an
unmitigated evil.
Those who derive benefit from diluted
alcohol taken with food are largely in the
minority. Fully so per cent of all cases
OF dyspepsia and Indigestion are caused by
immoderate use of alcohol. On the liver
alcohol has the effect of an irritant poison.
The tissue is excited inordinately, secre-
ton diminishes, and the flow of blood is
lessened. Fully 80 per cent of liver
diseases are caused by excessive indulg-
ence il alcohol. The kidneys are SINH
larly affected.
The great majority OF cases of heart
failure come from the same excesses. The
lungs are not so injuriously affected,
though they are by no means exempt
The brain is affected more directly than
the spinal chord. though prolonged in
dulgence derangeS the whole nervous sys-
tenn, with the grand finale of delirium
tremens.
The doctor stated that the effects of
alcohol i'll heredity go to the third genera
ton. No more baneful disease than alco-
hoi is handed down to generations. 1t is
well-settIed fact that drunkenness is trans
mitted from parent to child. The children
of drunkards are more liable to diseases
of the nervous system than are the chill
dren of insane parents. No mother has
any more moral right to take glass of
beer while nursing her child than she has
to take glass Of poison.
DR.. Clinton showed how whisky,
brandy and gin are made with chemicals,
and declared that much of the same iml-
tations as he mixed up on the stage are
used in commerce.
tenor solo by John Donnelly and
dialogue between John Brown and George
Maloney were the closing numbers of the
programme.