Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-06-09
ALCOHOL A DESTROYER.
How IL Works the Rain Of Mans
Mental, Physical and Moral BE-
inE-Frencb Scientists Views

A French scientist presents the fol-
lowing incontrovertible testimony on
the deadly work of alcohol:
physicians tell us precisely how al
cohol acts on the system. Almost the
moment it is swallowed ii makes it's
way through the veins of the stomach
into the blood, which it darkens. Its
action is immediate, for il has uu, her
gone no transformation. 1t passes
away very slowly through the skin,
lungs and kidneys, which are irri-
tated by it's passage. Once it has
been introduced into the body it per-
forms its deadly work The diges-
tive apparatus is the first point of
attack, The stomach, whether bloat-
ed by beer drinking or shrunl< by
brandy drinking, soon becomes ulcer
ated, causing hemorrhages. Digestion
becomes more difficult, for the gas
trio juices are diminished in quantity
by the paralyzing of the glands.
"The liver becomes congested and
swollen, heavy and painful. This is
fatty degeneration of the liver. Some
times the liver shrivels up and is COW
cred with a hard, stony tissue. This
is cirrhosis. The taste changes very
early, leading to all kinds of aberra-
lions, When an old absinthe drinksr
was put on milk diet In the hospital
he complained that the milk burned
his throat. He managed to get some
pure absinthe, which he swallowed,
claiming that it refreshed and cooled
his throat wonderfully. The circula-
tor. l. IN
arteries become hard and brittle Ac-
cidents which would normally affect
only the aged seriously strike down
young alcoholized persons. The irri-
tation of the lungs produces a dry
cough, tending directly toward tuber-
cuiosis. The kidneys, worn out by the
accumulation of alcohol, become in
fiamed. leading to Bright's disease or
other kidney affection.
1.-THE worst troubles resulting from
alcohofs abuse are those OF the nerv-
Gus system, weakening of memory,
nightmares, visions of impossible an
imals, Authorizations, general paral-
ysis, insanity. Delirium tremens
threatens every alcohol patient
The finest intelligence is soon de-
stroyed by this poison. Superior tai
ents are drowned in the bottle"
Taking up the question of race de-
generation, the French scientist states
that alcoholism is depopulating Nor
mandy.
Normandy" he says, shows the
terrific effects OF alcoholism more
strikingly than any other place on
the globe. Ruin and poverty rule in
many districts. No more cider is to
be found in the saloons; nothing but
cheap brandy is called for. When a
man goes to market he asks for four
cents worth of coffee and 90 cents
worth of brandy. When he has time
and money he will drink 20 or 80
cups Of coffee, accompanied by mixed
drinks without number. The women
of Normandy drink even more than
the men. The grocer, vegetable deal
er and charcoal vender offer brandy
as an inducement to lady customers.
When the women go to work they
take along TASKS, which they fiji and
empty several times a day To sim
plify the cooking they take pint or
SO of brandy and put few crumbs of
bread in it, and call this soup The
children are not spared. Early they
are taught to drink like men. They
go to the saloons with their parents
and drink brandy as the chief part
of their meals. The results are dimi-
mutton In the number of births and
marriages and a tremendous increase
in the mortality"
Mortified. VI, last year passed a