The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1899-06-29

sive ingestion of alcoholic bever-
ages. These may differ, if large
quantity be consumed at one time
or at short intervals. To the acute
catarrh of the ulimentary mucous
membrane, rapid coma, then de-
lirium tremens, then special forms
of acute insanity and death.
Whilst chronic classes assume
prolonged congestion, fatty and
connective tissue degenerations of
the various organs and tissues
followed by delirium tremens.
I will now give you report
from the Philadelphia Press, as
follows:
cat a meeting of the Paris Hos
pitfalls Medical Society M. Legendre,
alarmed by the ever-increasing
amount Of drunkenness, asked if
it would not be possible to with
stand this by means of meetings,
insistense on the dangers of al
cohol, and by what he considered
even a better method, that of get
ting up for the instruction of
patients lantern shows, with ex-
hibltions of automatic prepara-
tons to show the dangers of al
cohol. M. Legendre has had
printed for the use Of all patients
a little leafet, the text of which
runs as follows:
"Most of the diseases treated in
the hospitals arise from alcoholic
drinks-that is to say, they are
either caused or aggravated by
the abuse of alcohol. All alcoholic
drinks are dangerous, and the
most harmful are those which
contain aromatics in addition to
to ALCOHOLICS, for instance, alb
sinthe and the so-called aperients,
called ainers.
Alcoholic drinks are more dan
gerous when taken on an empty
stomach or between meals. A man
necessarily becomes an alcoholic
Ii. e., slowly poisoned by alco-
hol-even if he never gets drunk,
when every day he drinks alcohol
in the form of liquor or too much
wine, more than one liter per
diem.
Alcohol is a poison, the habit
ual uae of which destroys more or
less quickly, but none the less GER
tainly, all the organs most neces-
sary to life-the stomach, the liver,
the kidneys, the blood vessels, the
heart, and the brain. Alcohol ex-
cites man, but does not strenthen
him. It is no substitute for food,
but takes away the taste for it.
Those who often drink alcohol or
too much wine (more than one liter
a day. are much more liable to
illness, and when i'll are much
worse, for the disease is often COM
plicated with fatal delirium.
Alcohol is a frequent cause of
consumption by it's power of weak
ening the lungs. Every year we
see patients who attend hospitals
for alcoholism come back some
months later suffering from con-
sumption. Fathers and mothers
who drink often have children who
are deformed or idiots or who die
from fits.
By the above report it will be
seen that very nearly all Of the
general diseases have their origin
in the abuse of the use of alcoholic
stimulants and beverages; and it
would seem that to abstain from
alcohol altogether would very
much better the human system.
In acute alcoholic gastric ca
tarrh, copious draughts of warm
water, milk diet, also raw eggs
beaten up with milk, and soups
may be freely given.
Iu conclusion we find stimulus
or stimu. ating drinks made from
alcohol to be Of a depicting poison
ing. character, and although we
may wish to find some other con-
clusion for the purpose Of crafty
ing a morbid desire, yet our duty
to ourselves and to those we love,
leads us to find truthful solution
to the question. and we are COM
pelted to admit that all kinds of
intoxicating beverages are poison