The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-23
NO FOOD.
True, 1t Does Liberate
Heat Energy.
But 1t Goes Tearing Through The Body
Breaking Down Tissues and I'M
pairing All Physiological
Processes.

To the Editor:-My attention has
been called to an article in your paper
of Sunday, April 8, entitled THE Ma
ture of Alcohol" in which the writer,
Gerald Mccarthy. Biologist under
takes to answer certain queries, one
of which is:
What is the true effect of alcohol
on the human body? The answer is
as follows:
Some recent and very accurate in
into the disposition OF
alcohol in the body seem to show that
for a man of average weight dose
of pure alcohol not exceeding IL
ounces per day serves the purpose of
a food. The alcohol is oxidized in the
body and its fuel value is absorbed
and utilized. Two and one half ounces
of pure alcohol are equivalent to
about five ounces of ordinary wills
key
To this particular statement 1 feel
in duty bound to enter mild dissent
in that it is likely to mislead the pub
lie, not being sufficiently guarded. Mod
ern scientific investigation does show
that about two and one half ounces
of alcohol taken in divided doses are
burned up in the body in the course
purpose of a food because it is thus
oxidized is not supported by the con-
sensus of opinion among foremost
chemists, either in this
country or in Europe. The statement
above quoted appears to refer to Prof.
w. O. Atwater's Investigations OF Mid
dleton, Conn, who affirmed that be-
cause alcohol is oxidized in the body
the same as sugar, fat and starch. lib
thnrofnrn
should be called a food. The fallacy
of this conclusion has been clearly
and repeatedly shown by those who
are more than peers of Prof. AtWater.
While alcohol liberateS heat energy 1t
is known, by its preventive action On
other combustible foods and upon the
vaSo-motor system. to destroy more
heat than it generates thus lowering
the mean temperature of the body
How then can it have a food value?
Moreover, to entitle a substance to be
called food 1t must be able to nour-
ish the body without injuring any part
Sugar, fat and starch build up tissues
as we'll as give off heat but while alco-
hol is giving off heat, it goes tearing
its way through the body, breaking
down tissues, imDairinE all phySiologi-
cal processes, both mental and physi-
cal, and therefore its work in the body
is we'll nigh the reverse of that ac-
companYing the presence OF any kind
of recognized food.
The Boston Medical and Surgical
Journal says: "Dr. Atwater's expert
ments do not justify his statement that
alcohol is a food. In fact. the expert
ments as they stand prove the con-
trary." Prof II. w. Conn. Biologist
in the same university to which Prof
Atwater belongs answers the fallacy
of the latter as follows:
physicist could experiment with
gunpowder and prove that it is easily
oxidiZed and gives rise to q large
amount of heat and energy. from
this it might be argued that gunpow-
der is a most useful kind OF fuel for
cooking stoves. Such conclusion
would be hardly less logical than the
conclusions that have been drawn
from these (Atwater's) experiments
with alcohol. and which regard it as
a useful food for the body
Dr. August Forel, Prof of PSYCHE
airy in the University of Zurich. Switz-
erland, is without question the highest
authority on the action of alcohol in
all Europe today. In a very recent
article which has not yet been pub
lished in this country he says. "Alco-
hol produces heat and energy. Hence
people have concluded Alcohol is a
food That is a sophistry. On this
basis. many other poisons phosphorus
arsenic, belladOnna, muscarin, etc. :.
would be foods. To nourish the body
without injuring it, 1t is necessary that
the substances which burn there do
not impair its tissues. Heat an engine
with sulphur which corrodes the walls
in setting free sulphuric acid: you
will make the engine go. it is true;
but destroy it in the process. Fur
thermore. it is proved as far as alco-
hol is concerned. that it's paralyzing
effect rapidly annuls it's fuel effect.
Under its influence the muscles excited
at the beginning only, do less work
than without it" Kraepelin. Furer
DeStrie, Chauvan and quite recently
Schuyler have proved this expert
mentally. To dare to pretend to deny
this, basing ones denial upon the ex-
Deriments of Atwater (who only re-
proved the combustion in the body is
to be blinded by prejudice.
If any false conclusion was ever
completely overthrown by competent
critics the supposed food value of al
cohol has thus been annihilated.
e. O. TAYLOR,
Author and Lecturer on Alcohol, Bos-
ton, Mass