The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-04-30
w. c. 7. U.
CONDUCTED BY Mps. NJ. L. HOBBS.
DISEASES DUE TO DRINK.
Wlae and Beer Are Not Less Injurious
Than the Stronger Liquors.

nOllstn Oh tile ucINOus systVhi " no
effect on the other organs, and bear
ing of course in mind that it is al
WAYS difficult to determine whether
this latter is direct or only second
ary, as a result Of neurotic disease,
we find numerous instances both
of acute and chronic diseases OF the
mucous membrane of the pharynx,
stomach and intestines. These are
important, not only from their fire.
quent occurrence, but especially for
their bearing on the general alimen-
tation. | believe most physicians
will agree with me in the view that
inflammation of the stomach and
bowels in adults is almost i%..varia-
BILE due to alcoholic poisoning.
But alcohol exerts its essential
and most significant influence on
the vital organs by being taken up
in the circulation, and thus brought
into direct contact with their cellu-
lar tissue. We have no clearer EVIL
dence Of the direct action Of a poi
son in producing primary cell death
than is afforded by the action OF
alcohol on the liver, producing liver
cirrhosis. Typical liver cirrhosis
was found in 3 per cent. of all the
male bodies examined at the Leip-
sic Pathological institute.
But the organic changes which
my own experience compels me to
place in the first rank, as denotine
the most injurious effects of alcohol
lie indulgence, are the diseases OF the
muscles Of the heart and its nervou:
apparatus, the diseases of the ar
teries and Of the kidneys.
But while it has long been known
that delirum tremens, neurosis anc
cirrhose liver owe their existence to
alcoholic poisoning, it is by nc
means generally recognized thai
Ichronic heart and kidney diseases
are due to the same causes. Anc
yet the practical significance of pre-
cisely this form Of alcoholic poison
ling, apart even from its frequency
is Of the highest, from the TACT that
these diseases are induced not SO
much by the use Of concentrated
alcohol, but especially by heavy
beer drinking. This habit of ex'
lcessive beer drinking is very widely
prevalent among the cultivated
classes, aud claims its victim:
among men who regard the drink
ing of schnapps as an act Of moral
degradation. II is not only the
Quantity Of alcohol consumed by
/ heavy beer drinkers that is excess
,!ive, but the consumption Of liquit
Involved in the habit is no less ex
cessive and injurious. To this, too
must be added as hardly less preju
dicial the consumption Of an extr'
and undue amount Of nutritiv'
|, matter contained in the beer.
All these conditions tend to tha'
3 disease which is rarely absent il
: steady beer drinkers. The prim'
: anatomical change exhibits itself a
!. hypertrophy Of the muscles Of tn
heart, especially Of the left ventrl
! cle. This is the result Of a contin
Gus o~vertaxing ofthe hearts powers
The prime factor here is the exces
e sive amount Of water, which befor
= it can again be given off by the kic
; neys, skin and lung, must be take
up by the blood and maintained j
motion by the heart. The exces
. |of nutritive matter furnished by th
l. beer contributes to the same result
y Kidney diseases as a result Of al
coholism are still more flequen'
n and with wine and beer drinkers tn
. extra labor imposed on the kidney
by excess Of fluid renders them e'
IA pecially susceptible to the large ir
fuence Of the accompanying a
lcohol.
Il Finally, there is another interes
ing group Of diseases resulting fro
"A alcoholic action in disturbing ar
r upsetting the chemical processes
assimilation. The leading types
st diseases due to this cause are gou
d. diabetes and fatty degeneration
g the heart, and while allowing tn
y, y in many cases alcoholic action M
be supplemented by contributor
\. causes, l think it will be apparel
:. that the sum Of the evils proper
ascribable to alcohol is such as
to warn us physicians that here is
I'D matter in which oil our fore
should be enlisted.-Dr. Adoly
y Strumpell.
~ NV experience is that nearly