Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-03-09
TEMPER ANCE
TOPICS.
Food Value OF Alcohol.

Food Value OF Alcohol.
A food Is a substance which can
enter the structures of the body. 1t
Is substance which can be digested,
absorbed. and assimilated into the
body The food is reduced to a II
quid in the digestive process, and In
that state It is carried off by the
blood. and becomes a part of the me-
dunn with which the cell is sur
rounded. The cell selects from this
medium materials which 1t needs.
These materials form part of supply
of lymph, being used by the spongio-
plasm OF the cell, and utilized; but 1t
must first be reduced to liquid form,
and It must enter into the very
structure OF the cell before it can be
utilized and assimilated. In the pro-
cess of tissue activity, we have first a
building up OF tissues, and then a
tearing down of the tissues-ana-
bolism and katabolism. Anabolism
Is building up. 1t is like building a
tower out of stones. Katabolism is
taking down. Here Is a cell which
has been built up. Energy is stored
there. Energy cannot be obtained
except by the liberation OF the ener-
gy which has been utilized in the
building up OF the cell. Here is a
tower built of stones; by and by the
tower falls. The energy which is put
into those stones in building up the
tower is released and expended I'm its
fall Now suppose there are some
stones lying around on the ground
which are not built into the tower; is
there any energy manifested by them
In the falling down of the tower?
No. Just so, In order TO be source
of energy to the body, alcohol must
enter into the very structure of the
body.
Upon the view that food serves to
heat material for the bodily pro-.
cesses, and upon the foundation prin-
ciple of the transformation of energy,
the purely theoretical deduction was
made some time ago by X. Mayer
that alcohol must serve the function
of food since IL burns in animal or
human bodies. This deduction
stands or falls with the assumption
that food materials simply burn In
the body, proof of which has never
been advanced.
1.-THE experiments with alcohol
prove that katabolic change of mat
ter does not take place That alco-
hol is a narcotic poison and can de-
stroy all living protoplasm is an ac-
knowledged fact In the view that
has been accepted, purely dogmatl-
cally, that alcohol, which is poison,
Is at the same time nutritive sub
stance, tonic, we see paradox,
which no one would think OF making
about any other poison. On the other
hand, no substance which is truly
nutritive destroys protoplasm. Ex-
pertinent can decide the question.
Chauvean had a dog work upon a
specified diet; the animal accom-
plished every day a certain amount
of work, and in so doing gained in
weight. The dogs food was then al
tered SO that, while all else remained
the same, certain amount of carbo-
hydrate was replaced by quantity
of alcohol, which, upon the assump-
ton of the katabolic change of mat
ter, was equal to the carbohydrate
omitted.
IF, then, the alcohol acted 'as
food, there would have been no diff
ference noted. However, the animal
experimental upon not only did less
work every day, which is to be set to
the account of the narcotic effect of
the alcohol, but 1t grew thin, while
with less work accomplished and the
same food, still greater addition OF
body weight must have taken place.
The experiment, therefore, proves
that alcohol as poison cannot act as
food, but only injure protoplasm.
Alcohol is in every way a deceiver.
It fnlfils none of its promises 1t re-
Iieves hunger because It destroys the
appetite, and the power to digest
food; but 1t does not nourish the
body. 1t destroys pain by paralyzing
the nerves, but 1t does not remove
the cause OF the pain. 1t makes the
poor man feel for brief time that
he has boundless wealth; but It
leaves him poorer than before. If a
man is cold. 1t gives him sensation
of warmth; but he Is actually colder
than before. The man who is weak
lmagines he is strong. while he is act
ually weaker than before. Assuredly
alcohol is not food.