The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-11-28

MRS. N. C. LIBBY, President,
MRS. LOUISA ANTHOINE, Secretary,
MRS. ADA FARNHAM. Treasurer.
Alcohol Not Needed in Medicine.
DR.. W. F. Waugh, Chicago,
editor of the Alkaloidal Clinic,
says:
''Alcohol is used as a stimulent
in fevers. We have shown that it
does not sustain either the heart or
the respiration, and that it is not
to be depended on for this purpose.
The effect of strychnine is unques-
tionably stimulant, and it's action
is more powerful and prolonged
than that of alcohol, even admit
ting the claims of it's friends as to
its efficacy. Digitalin and strych-
nine give effects that are not dispu-
ted, and with these agents at our
command, in reliable and conven-
lent shape, we can have no need
for alcohol.
LAS a food we have seen that
alcohol can not replace the most
essential elements of the dietary,
the albumenoids; and that it sim
ply favors the production of fat.
In consumption this would be of
benefit, were it not that in some
cases there is fatty enlargement of
the liver, which would be increased
by alcohol: and in other cases
we have in the Injunction Of fats
better means of fattening than
the use of alcohol, which has the
the further disadvantage of favor
ING fibrosis or cirrhosis of the pull
monary tissues. Moreover, it is
precisely in tuberculosis that we
see the tendency most marked of
replacing the food by alcohol,
which is positive contra-indica-
cation to its employment.
ITO break up a chill, whether of
malarial origin OF from exposure
to cold, the hot toddy is much less
effective than capsicum tea, chloro-
form internally, pllocarpine hypo-
dermically, or even camphor on
sugar or in hot water. The hot
toddy taken before going out into
the cold is not only useless but
highly dangerous, as the alcohol
lessons the sense of chilliness, and
Increases the effect of cold in
reducing the temperature of the
body. Many a fatal pneumonia
has originated in this way; many
a man has started across the prairie
we'll fortified against the cold, to
freeze on the way.
"Alcohol is efficient in checking
diarrhpas, but there are few who
would place it in this respect at the
head of the numerous remedies at
our command, the preliminary
sweeping out with castor oil, rhu-
barb or salines. the astringents and
antiseptics.
"When | commenced the prac-
tice of my profession [ fully
believed that the nursing mother
required wine or malt liquors to
enable her to nurse her babe. Put
ting this idea to the test of practice,
| found that the mother had a more
regular supply of milk, of better
quality, when she used no alcohol,
but was fed as a nursing mother
should be; while the child refused
to thrive on the beer and COM
menced to pick up when it was
discontinued, even if this were by
weaving. A glass of beer caused
the breast to fill up at once, and
mothers accustomed to it found it
difficult to nurse their child with
out the stimulus, until they had
discontinued it long enoug Oh for
this effect to subside. Alcohol
makes swill milk, not the healthy
secretion that is supplied by good
food.
AS remedy for sudden failure
of the vital powers, as in syncope
or collapse, alcohol is too slow as
compared with glonoin, too week
and too short in it's action as com
cared with atropine and strychnine.
"With aconitine and veratrine,
we hear no one now talk of giving
alcohol as an anti-thermic. >Pilo-
carpine replaces it as a sudorifc in
in sthenic cases, camphor and hot
capsicum tea are much better in
asthenic forms of disease.
Nor does the presence of sepsis
warrant the use of alcohol, since
there is no trustworthy evidence
that it has any antiseptic virtue
whatever, and modern medicine
demands evidence to back up it's
therapy. We have local and intes-
final antiseptics of proved efficacy,
and the serums are a series of