The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-04-27
NOT WHAT 1T SEEMS.
The Deception of Alcohol and A1co-
holic Liquors as Set Forth by
Il Physician.

There Is 10 substance more deceptive
IN its effects upon the body than alec
mol. Contrary to the opinion held b1
so many-that it assists digestion
quichens the circulation, strenet then:
the muscles, increases bodily temper
allure, and improves the condition Of
the body generally-science has dem.
| onstrated over and over again that il
does just the reverse Of all this.
! 1t has been shown repeatedly that
/ alcoholic liquor, when taken into the
stomach even in moderate quantities
dimlnlsnes the secretion of the gastric
/! juice, ccaguiates the albuminous part
OF the food, thus rendering it more diff
iicult of Digestion; paralyzes, to some
degree at least, the muscular coats of
the stomach; and when taken for any
considerable length of time, causes afro
ply OF the glands Of the stomach
and liberation Of its mucous men,
brane. All these conditions interfere
TO greater Or less degree with the
digestion OF food, and consequently in
the same measure with all the func-
t1ons OF the body. Experiments on the
lower animals show that alcohol is
very quickly absorbed from the sto1n-
ach, and hastens on to work its mis-
chief in other parts of the system.
After absorption from the stomach,
the next organ of Importance with
which 1T comes ir contact is the liver.
1t causes congestion of this organ bv
paraiyzing the vasomotor nerves. and
lnterferes with all its functions. The
cells in which the work Of the liver is
done are paraIyzed and poisoned by
the alcohol, so that none Of the func-
lions Of the organ are properly per
formed. AS the poisonous effects of
the alcohol continue, the cells in time
waste away, and are finally destroyed.
The wasting and Disappearance Of the
esse ntial cells of the liver are attend
&c and followed by an ingrowth of the
is'rous and supporting tissue. so that
under the influence of alcohol there is
a gradual but certain transformation
OF the normal tissue of the organ. The
liver cells being poisoned and Ge-
stroyed by the alcohol, the connective
tissue increases in quantity, and the
liver tissue becomes hard in its struc-
ture. But even this supporting fbrous
tissue cannot resist the poisonous eff
tect of alcohol, and finally gives way
10 it. This tissue also degenerates and
wastes away, so that one who is in the
habit of making post-mortem examina-
tons of the livers of those who have
been in the habit of using the drug con-
tlnuously finds scattered through the
liver white masses of soft friable tissue
with not single trace of either liver
cells or the fibrous tissue which ORIG
inally made up the structure of the
healthy organ, and also that every YES
tlge Of the normal liver tissue is en-
tirely absent in these places. On &C.
count of the peculiar external appear
ance of liver of this kind, it has been
called the 'hob-nailed liver" The or
gan in this condition is totally in |
capable Of performing any OF its nor
nal functions. and death sooner or
later is the result.
From time almost iramemorial a!co- i
hos and alcoholic liquors have had
'as credit Of aating as cardiac stimu-