The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-10-02
FOOD OR POISON QUESTION.
of Atwater Theory by a Vienna
Professor.

In view of the discussion called forth
some time ago by the report of Prof.
Atwater's experiments, which were
intended to throw light on the ques-
| ton: Is alcohol a food or a poison?
a paper in the latest number of Pflu-
gers Archiv is of more than passing
| interest. This periodical is the lead
| ing physiological journal of Germany
if not of the world. The paper re-
ferred to is by Prof. Kassowitz, of vi
emma. 1t consists of 80 pages of care
| fully discriminating review of the sci
| entific evidence on the question, I'M
| der the title: Food and Poison: A
| Contribution to the Alcohol Question"
The position of the author and the
place of the publication would lead
one to expect rigidly scientific treat
ment of the subject, not preiudiced
| polemic, and certainly not a harangue
from the point of view of the profess
SIGNAL temperance reformer. For this
reason the paper is one of unusual inn
portance, and ought to be read by
those who profess to speak on the
lAdllVl IlOul al StlOnllllC SlduuDOlHI.
The author sums up at the close the
main conclusions to be drawn from the
results of all reliable Investigations
up to the present time. | give below
the gist of the greater part of the
summary, presenting the general ideas
rather than literal translation:
l. The assumption of a nutritive ac-
ton of alcohol rests upon the suppo-
sitiOn that a part of the food is con-
sumed by direct chemical change with
out first taking part in the upbuild-
ing of the protoplasmic substance.
,. The logical consequence of this
supposition, that substances of equal
fuel values can take the place one OF
another in the chemical changes in
the living tissue, is contradicted by
reliable experiments. The same can
be said of the supposition that food
can be of use through its direct de-
struction without any intermediate
protoplasmic steps.
3. The single remaining possibility.
that all food material is assimilated.
i. e., is applied to the building up of
chemical units, agrees very well with
all the ascertained facts and stands
in contradiction to none.
4. According to this conception of
the nature of food the proptoplasmic
molecules are highly complex and
hence chemical changes are extremely
easy to bring about in them.
5. Evey stimulus and every chemical
ly acting poison causes a disturbance,
destruction of chemical units of the
protoplasm.
g. Since alcohol as stimulating and
poisonous substance destroys the pro-
toplaSmic molecules, it cannot at the
same time be assimilated and applied
as food material. y substance cam
not simultaneously act as food and
poison.
Z. After a short period of stimula-
ton, alcohol acts as a paralyzing agent
to the nerve centerS which innervate
the muscles; the muscles are thus less
efficiently excited through the action
of the nerves and less carbon dioxide
is produced.
s. The reduced amount of carbon
dioNide eNcreted indicates no economy
of the tissue substance, but is an in.
direct consequence of the poisonous
action of the alcohol
.. In agreement with the above con
clusion is the fact proved by expert
ment that if for IA part of the non
heterogeneous food ii quantity of alco-
hol of equal fuel value is substituted.
there results ii reduction of working
power and loss of body weight
10. The nutritive value of "A sub
stance does not depend simply upon
the fact of its oxidation in the body.
II. The practical conclusion to be
drawn from the known facts both on
theoretical and empirical grounds. is
to the purport that for purposes of
nutrition alcohol should be employed
neither for the well nor for the sick
5. 5. Maxwell, in Chicago Standard.