The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-19

From the New York Commercial Adve


From the New York Commercial Adver-
tiser.
Sir Lander Brunton, NJ. D, the eminent
English psychologist, has just published
an important preliminary statement of an
investigation into the injurious constit1-
ents of the common alcoholic beverages.
The especially disagreeable symptoms of
intoxication seem to be, according 20
these experiments chiefly, if not entirely.
due to impurities in the alcohol, rather
than to the latter itself. 1t is when
man begins to get drunk. or when he be-
gins to sober up, that he finds out the
quality of the liquor he has taken, md
as ethyl alcohol is the common basis CT
all potable liquors, variations other than
qualitative in this substance cannot be
responsible for the great variations which
occur in these two stages, especially in the
sobering-up process, and which depend
apparently on the particular beverages
or mixtures which were used for produc-
ing intoXication.
Prof. Brunton states that "the main
points in which potable spirits differ
inter Sc are with regard to their aide
hyde, compound ether, higher alcohol
(fusel OLD and certain 1olatile base con-
stituents' One particular aldehyde,
known as furfural seems to be a regular
constituent of whisky and is apparently
largely responsible for the worst immedi-
ate effects produced by the latter. The
source of this substance in whisky. ana
to a less extent in beer. is a class of sub
stance called pentosanes, which come from
the cellulose of the grain husks. Under
the influence of heat and in the presence
of acids, furfural is formed from them.
A number of liquors were examined by
Prof. Brunton, and all were found TO con-
tain this substance. Among them were
fresh and mature WHISTLES, brandy. gin,
rum and various spirits used in the col
onies such as the so-called cape Smoke,
and the cheap liquors of Spain, China
and Japan The presence of furfural in
whisky can be easily demonstrated by
placing a teaspoonful of it in test tube,
diluting it with an equal volume of wat
or and adding a few drops of a sodium a.
honate solution and then a drop or two
of aniline acetate. If the test tube be
shaken up and allowed to stand a rose
mink color will soon develop If furfural be
present. and the deepness of the color
will be approximately proportional TO the
amount of this substance In the whisky.
The effect of simultaneous injections of
furfural in animals was found to be par
alvsis and commissions. Immediately af-
ter the injection the animal falls down
completely paralyzed; it's tongue and lips
become blush; the breathing is sometimes
slow and convulsive. sometimes rapid and
irregular; commissions soon occur Vomlt-
ing takes place in many cases, and then
recovery begins
THE whole cycle of symptoms is COM
Melted in about half an hour. Smaller
doses cause symptoms of irritation ana
+witcbing of the muscles; larger doses
cause death from asphyxia through par
alvsis of the respiratory muscles. Almost
identical symptoms We're produced when
the noison was given by the mouth mix
ed with milk or water. A further series
I Of experiments was made to ascertain
| whether the removal of the furfural from
+be whisky caused any change in the
| SYMPTOMS of alcoholic poisoning winch IL
| produced 1t may be remarked, by the
| wav. that one of the most important dlt-
| ferences between raw ana mature llquor .
| is the considerably smaller quantities or
| aIdehyde which the latter contain
! n was found that the return (the So
| barine-up) from what may be termed pro-
found drunkenness in animals was more
| ranid and accompanied by fewer second
| ar,, s1,nptoms when aldehyde-free spirit
| rad been given. In the case OF the I'M
purified spirit the animal during the tran
| sition stage was esfless, wandering from
one part of the laboratory to the other'
| apd seemed remarkably uncomfortable
and was very bad tempered. 1t refused
! food for some time after its recovery
These secondary symptoms were entirely
! ahsent In the case of the aldehyde-free
! snirit The animal walked up and at
saronted 10 stand; If it could not ID sim
NV went off to sleep again. When 1t was
enallv sober it appeared perfectly norm
al and If offered food took it. The phys
,o,orical action Of these aldehydes which
are true drugs, depends according to
Toew. upon their combination with GER
tain groups OF the proteid molecules OF
the body. One of their antidotes is am
monia, which combines with them 70 FORM
a harmless compound. Prof Brunton
calls attention to the significant fact that
the substances which have reputation
among alcoholics as morning pick-me-
ms contain either ammonia or an amido
group; that is, just those substances which
! 20 caoacble Of neutralizing aldehydes.