Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-04-04
WORK OF KING ALCOHOL.
An Analysis of Its Properties and Ef.
fects on the Human System.

An Analysis Of Its Properties and Ef.
feets on the Human System.
Rev. Madison c. Peters Of Baltimore,
Nd, writes as follows in regard to the
character Of alcohol and its effect up
on the human SYSTEM: ,s-
Some years ago to show the young
men who attended my ministry what
moral contagion was hidden behind the
glazed saloon windows and curtained
doors, and to hold up King Alcohol In
his horrid outlines, through my asso-
ciate secured some samples from
some sample-rooms, such as would be
sold to any casual customer and care
full examination showed the following
results:
From a first-class saloon came half
pint of Holland gin; it contained neu-
tral spirits rotten corn, Juniper ber-
ries, turpentine and vitrol. put q
match to small quantity and the
blue flame that arose would have done
a drinker good. No wonder the drunk
ard sees the blue blazes! I took the
white Of an egg; quite equivalent IN
substance to the fluids Of the brain.
poured over it little Of this Holland
CO gin; and the albuminous substance
slowly CONCEALED, thickened and clot-
ted. 1t lost its clearness, became
stringy and compact and finally hard
ened. 1t Is the chemical effect Of al
cohol on vital substance what
goes on in your brain to a greater or
less extent, when you drink alcohol In
any shape or form.
From another saloon came a half
pint of whisky; it contained neutral
spirits, glycerine, sulphate Of zinc,
chronic acid, concentrated lye, unslak-
ed lime and fusel oil. The man who
would venture to drink pint OF this
mixture at once would probably be
killed in a minute. What mess to
drink. The small was bewildering.
From another saloon came half
pint of port wine: neutral spirits, glyc-
crime, licorice, zinc, mercury, antimo-
ny and several acids. These bottles
tell their own tale-poison, disease and
death. Do you want to pay ten cents
for swallow Of such stuff? And If
most of this stuff was not made in the
saloon keepers back room last week,
the wholesale house made it last
month. Take any horn Of the dilemma
you choose. Business men who are
near to some wholesale liquor house
tell me that ten barrels come out to
one that goes in. Good liquor, pre-
pared in the most approved way, care
fully distilled and kept a sufficient
length Of time for the fusel oil to pass
away, means a far too high price for
the common market. To age liquor Is
locking up capital for years.
The most important physiological
effect Of alcohol in the human system
Is that Of contracting or puckerfng
up of the softer animal tissues. I took
a piece Of fresh beef and the alcohol
whitened and hardened it. Brandy in
six days consumed fresh meat. A raw
oyster, which is very digestible, 1t
shriveled and toughened as leather.
Such in degree is the effect produced
by the contact of alcohol with the
stomach. The white Of an egg Is near
ly pure albumen, and forms a consti-
tuent part of the essential fluids nee
essary to digestion. Alcohol hardens
the albumen, and hence interferes with
the proper digestion of food, and thus
we have the prevalency Of disorders of
the digestive organs among persons
who drink. This Is in itself refuta-
ton Of the claim so often made that
alcohol is tonic. ..
That strong drink does not help men
to endure continued cold we have the
testimony Of Dr. Hayes, the Arctic ex-
plorer, who did nrc use alcohol, and
would not take any man with him who
did.
great heat, we have the testimony from
the middle of Africa. DR.. Livingstone
said: 1.-The most severe labors and
privations may be undergone without
alcoholic stimulants, because those Of
us who have endured the most had
nothing else than water, and not al
ways enough Of that"
Alcohol does not create healthy
condition Of the body; the corpulency
of beer and wine drinkers seldom con-
tinues to old age. First the legs, then
the shoulders give way, and finally the
whole body becomes loose and flabby.
A general corpulence Of the body Is
not a healthy state but the reverse.
No animal in the state Of maturity ex-
hibits any considerable deposit of fat.
Animals are fattened only for the
slaughter. Certain classes Of men have
the appearance Of great bodily vigor,
notwithstanding the habitual use Of
liquor, and undergo great muscular ex-
ertion, but the constitutions Of such
men break down before they are ad-
vanced in years; disease and injuries
Of the most trifiing character are often
very serious; the slightest scratch or
bruise often causing a fatal attack OF
erysiperlas, etc. Surgeons unwillingly
perform operations on drinking men,
because the chance of recovery Is so
small.
The history of cholera and all cpl
denies show that alcohol lessons the
power to resist diseases, and contri-
butes to their fatality by impairing the
ability to overcome them.
WOMAN is CHAMPION.