The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-09-15
EFFECT OF INTOXICANTS.
Some Clinical Aspects of Inebriety
as Presented by ii. 5. DrnytOn, NJ.
d., of New York City.

Some Clinical Aspects of Inebriety"
is the subject of a valuable article by
II. S. Drayton, NJ. D., of New York City,
in the Quarterly Journal of lnebriety
for April, 1898. The writer says:
IAN all ditfusive element, alcohol, in
time depraves nearly every tissue of
the body, and induces morbid condi-
lions that are for the most part char
acteristic. At once narcotic, corro-
sive, absorbent, and irritant, whatever
of vital structure it comes in contact
with is affected disastrously. In the
stomach the membrane becomes in
famed, and catarrhal eXudate i'm
pairs the quantity and value of the Sc
cretions; the liver becomes congested,
and later hardens and contracts; the
lungs suffer loss of elasticity, and a
bronchial and vascular catarrh may
lead to tubercular infiltration; the
heart muscle undergoes fatty degen-
Grafton; the arteries likewise are
changed in consistency and residence;
the kidneys sustain grave alterations,
with tendency to forms of Bright's dis
ease; the vascular tissues lose their
normal elements and function; fat
may accumulate in the cellular spaces,
in the abdominal wall, the mesentery,
while the eXtremities become lean and
attenuated; the nerve-centers espe-
cially suffer injury; brain and spinal
cord degenerate, with corresponding
loss of function. These perversions
and deteriorations are well known to
the laity, so to speak, of our commun-
ity, for their symptoms and phenom
ena are too common and expressive to
be misunderstood"
DR.. Drayton then speaks of the OPP
portunity afforded the clinician to see
and hear things quite excluded from
the observation of the average mis-
sionary and reformer. He says
Through the signs created by
course of vicious living, that build
themselves in the features and intlu-
ence attitude and speech, he reads the
life of the patient at the first inter-
view, and is enabled to sketch out the
necessary plan of advice and treat
ment. The catarrhs, the coughs, the
hoarseness, the sore throats, the rheu-
matism, the skin eruptions, the lame
ness, aches, pains, and the hundred
other ills that are complained of, are
but the outer Inning of the mental
malady, that through its insidious
agent, alcohol, is destroying the phys
zeal organism"
The writer mentions the common
plea: 81 drink only glass or two a
day; that isn't enough to hurt me-"
or, II work hard and need something
to keep me up and gives the follow
ing instance as merely illustrative:
"A bright, energetic young man of
about 40 years of age applied to me for
advice. He had chronic gastric ca
tarrh; no appetite; inability to sleep;
was restless, nervous; his tongue so
very tremulous and excited that he
could not keep it out for inspection.
He was plasterer and very skillful. l
inquired how many glasses of liquor he
drank day. Protesting that he had
always been a temperate man, he said
that he found it absolutely necessary
to take two or three glasses of whisky
and water to keep up his strength.
The weather was warm, and his work
being so much indoors, he became very
warm and thirsty. So he took about
four beers to keep cool and moisten
his throat. That became so dry and
harsh that he must have something to
make it comfortable. He did not I'M
derstand how the alcoholic mixture
p1 n
throat inflamed and harsh. and why
hisre peated imbibitions but added fuel
to. the flame of his discomfort, while
the poor stomach, prosecuted by the
same treatment to the extreme of en-
-durance, was breaking down. This
man was anxious to be well, and, ac-
cepting my assurance that his drink
ing habits lay at the root of his weak
ness, promised to follow my directions,
although fearful that he would suffer
while doing so. He had the courage to
carry out the advice. and after a few
months had so improved that he could
do his work in comfort and without
sending to the corner saloon for a ket-
tie Of beer"
Speaking of the functional loss and
the general breakdown of the tissue
caused by the constant poisoning of
the entire system by alcohol Or. Dray-
ton initaTced the case of man of
about 30 who came to the New York
hospital with symptoms of rheuma-
tism and semi-paralyss of the limbs.
His case did not appear TO be very seri-
Gus. A few days rest with simple APP
plications would be likely to SET him
on his feet. But in spite of all that