The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-10-30
w. C. T. U. COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY MRS. NJ. L. HOBBS.
WHAT WHISKY DOES.
Actions of q Drunkard are Those Of .
Maniac.

Maniac.
Alcoholic intoxication isinsanity.
The higher cerebral nerve centers
are rendered inco-ordinate. The
drunken man is a maniac and quite
frequently, in the excitable stage,
requires restraint. When young
man drinks wine at party or con-
iyivially, he becomes excited, hilar-
ious. more or less confused, inco-
ordinate, then stupid, and then
goes off into a comatose sleep until
the poison is consumed, when he Is
restored once more to sanity.
Viewed entirely from the stand
point Of physical pathology, without
a knowledge Of the cause, this de-
bauch can only be called an attack
of insanity. Now, it will be noted
: that the course and symptoms OF
drunken fit resemble the whole
course and progress OF insanity.
In the first stage is elevation OF
S the higher cerebral centers-exalta-
IS ton Of self and visions OF grandeur.
!. The man is conscious of everything
9 except that he is drunk. A lew
d more drinks, and then the higher
g centers take on confusion, the lower
r centers become paralyzed, speech is
y thickened, the gait is staggering,
Df the man reels, mutters, grows stuP-
lr id and relapses into coma and gen
u eral paralysis and is dead drunk.
ne This is the typical course OF the
m disease known as general paralysis.
ne In the first stages OF this disease
ne there is mental exaltation, then
y mental proversion, then the low
We centers become involved, and final,
mt lv the scene ends with coma and
s' general paralysis. -
ur In a debauch alcohol first attacks
ur the higher nerve centers-cereorum
IN and cerebellum. The reason Is
"a because these centers have less re-
)ld sistance than the lower to alcohoi'
he The lower centers are involved latel
for and are affected least. But cases
to are numerous in which the lower
en- centers are poisoned with fatal Ell
500 fects. The debauchee sinks int
lth deep coma; the poisoning iataily
involves and paralyzes the lowe
Ar. nerve centers, which causes tn
<y. heart and respiration to fail, ant
the coma fades away into oblivion
the inebriate is dead.
,so Nerve cells are very iml ression
able. They have the power OF De
s0l, coming educated. Repeated In
port pressions made upon them fror
on anv source will cause this trainin
or conduct or mode of action or ec
ucation. When the brain cells al
educated, they perform ther fun'
tons according to the form and tyI
of this training. They act as the
are taught to act. :.
Now, all inebriety is periodical
though apparently many cases ma
be constant or continuous, but !
every case this periodicity may
: found, though it varies from pa
N Of a day to part of decade in d.
M ration. The real reason OF this
oll because the nerve cells were taug
Iii to demand and resist alcohol in tn
VI perlodical manner. No man drln
III inst as much every hour. I
II leaves intervals between drinks al
between debauches. When he b
established craving for liquor,
will automatically initiate the me ct
cd of drinking as it was first !
dulged.
But repeated debauches educa
u the cells into inebriety. The me
4, tai manifestations Of inebriety
ny those Of insanity as the circular
n riety and will give my reasons.
Kirchhoff says circular insanl
ID al is n periodical attack OF mania, 81
ceeded by an interval OF melanch'
or even interval of apparent SAM
49, ~ The periodical inebriate fills tn
dver. indications. He is periodically
nnec- maniac. His debauches are
what lowed by an interval OF appar'
, this freedom from liquor and mania.
tee on do not say that all inebriates sho
- and - oaof;nod in m asvlum. bu
that y s:.',.. IL sov that wore thev
favor ve''a'ny i~;rL;ru mon n
begin known W po aond
alton. mental maniies.a''on, """ 80.
would convict all Of them OF ins'
from ty in the courts, and they would
before sent to- asylums. DIR. kecley
me the Arena.