The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-09-24
THE WAY IT ACTS.
Progressive Eject of Alcohol on the Ner-
Vous System.

VOuS system.
The effect of alcohol on the nervous
system is progressive. Sir Benjamin
Ward Richardson, as result of his eX-
tended researches, mentions four sue
cessive stages:
81. Excitement, produced by the I'M
usual flow of blood through the capil-
laries, because the nerves controlling
them have become paralyzed. TIE re-
sistance to the passage of the blood
through their minute vessels having
been partially removed, the heart re-
spends with increased action. This is
q kind of collaboration, but no added,
power is really given to the body. The
mind may seem a little more active,
but the understanding is really dulled.
80. Muscular Weakness. If more all
cohol is taken, that portion of the nerv-
GUS system that controls the action Of
the muscles is then affected The lower
lip generally falls first, the tongue
thickens, and the lower limbs are af-
fected, producing the staggering, I'M
certain gait, while the muscles of the
face lose their tone producing the
idiotic expression usually found in one
coming rapidly under the complete in
fuence of alcohol.
"3. Mental Weakness. The cerebrum
is next affected, and the mind is in a
chaos. Ideas may flow rapidly, and the
tongue attempt to respond more glib
ly, but the Judgment has lost its bal
ance. This is the time for brawls; ami
| NAL instincts come to the front, reveal
ing the hidden nature that education
| and social restraint had concealed.
"a. Inconsistencies. The brain and
! spinal cord are completely under the
| narcotic influence of the alcohol, and
| the victim is dead drunk. Persons in
| this condition have sustained serious
| injuries without being conscious of the
fact until the effect of the alcohol has
passed away"
The nerve centers that supply the
heart and diaphragm are the slowest to
| be Influenced, so the breathing and cir
culaton still go on. Were this other
wise, every case of drunkenness would
result in death. When the system raj
| lies from a fit of intoXication, an ach-
ing head, sick stomach and exhausted
| body are naturally the results of the
congested condition Of the system.
Some reliable authorities claim that
"a once thoroughly intoxicated brain
never fully becomes what it was before,
though the outward evidence of de-
bauch may wholly pass away if the
use of alcohol is abandoned"
When drinking is a habit, the brair,
becomes permanently impaired and the
nerves deranged, bringing to the indi-
vidual the most serious moral conse-
quences, as well as destroying the men,
tai powers, entailing disease not only
on the victim himself, but on those
that come after him.
The action of alcohol on the brain
matter is two-fold: Q) Mechanical eff
feet on it's structures; (2) Narcotic eff
feet.
| By mechanical effect is meant the
tendency of the alcohol to change the
brain matter from a soft pulpy or Gus
| tard consistency to hardened condi-
ton, by extracting the water. In the
moderate use of this drug, the change
is of course slight, yet it is sufficient
to hinder the functions of this impor-
tant organ, mental as we'll as physical
| The narcotic effect of alcohol is the
most common, and is produced by a
much smaller quantity than is neces'
sary to occasion the physical change
referred to. - Scientific Temperance
Bulletin.