The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-05-12
PRIZE ESSAY
ON ALCOHOL
As Awarded in fine Public
School Contest Here Re-
Gently Held.

Alcohol on the Humane B6dy'-ir
which some seventy-fiVe children
competed, and Mabel smith Of the
Central school won the prize. They
were written in class under the super
vision Of teachers 1t took the wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union
twenty years with an the help they
could muster to get the legislature to
pass a BIN for the scientific temper
ance instructlonsin the public schools,
But the World do Move.
The essay under this head, fThe
Effects Of Alcohol Upon the Human
Body" Is as follows:
Alcohol Is a clear LIQUID which has
a sweetlsh. biting taste, and pecu-
liza odor. II prpliices smarting
sensation when apnllsd to raw sore.
the eyes, or mouth. It lis a useful
thing II used In the right way, but
men formed the bad habit OF liking
Its taste and the sensation 1t pro-
duces.
Alcohol shtfold be classed as a mar
cotlc drug or asa stimulant because
IL It Is used ms small amount IL has
stimulating effect. But 1t should
never be used because II produces
more bad <effects than 1t does good.
And after the stimulating effect wears
off, which It does in very short
time, Il leaves the body in a worse
condition than It was before.
Alcohol prevents fermentation IL 1t
is present in the proportion OF four
teen percent. and II It Is present in
fifty percent germs of decy will not
grow. II takes water from substan-
ces with which II comes in contact
and as a result of these two, hardens
or coagulates albumin and in this way
impairs or destroys the life of the
cells. Alcohol does not satisfy thirst,
because 1t takes water from the lining
of the mouth and makes It hard and
dry, and even II the body Is supplied
with water, the person still has this
sense of thirst and a craving for more
alcohol. A man when he begins to
drink mover expects to become
druhkafd like the man he sees lying
nj the gutter or staggering along on
the street. because he thinks he has
more will power than that man.
Probably he has when he begins, but
the alsohol weakens the will and the
habit gradually grows on him, and
finally II overpowers him and he Is in
the same condition as the man he saw
lying in the gutter, for whom he had
such contempt, and after he gets this
far along he really can't help 1t. The
habit has become so strong that he
could hardly quit Il II he wished. The
chief part ofstic gastric Juice is pep
sin which Is lifeless albumlnous fcr-
ment which the alcohol destroys and
the gastric Juice Is then almost use
less. The mucus membrane Is also
hardened and pours out more mucus
than Is needed so as to dilute the ir-
rltating alcohol. and sometimes the
particles of food are so coated with
mucus that the gastric juice cannot
act upon 1t. Alcohol produces more
bad effects when taken on an empty
stomach. for there Is no food for the
alcohol to act upon so It acts on the
walls of the stomach. The peristalsis
ia much increased so as to force the
Irritating alcohol on. and IL this H.
continued, the muscle are weakened
so that they cannot do their work.
The alcohol Is so much diluted by
the time it gets to the intestines that
1t does not produce many bad effects
of itself but 1t has deranged the stom-
ach so that It has not done its work
and the intestlnes have to do work
of both. The liver also suffers in
this way, by having to do more than
its share OF work and by not having
enough oxygen to do the work, be-
,,,a.y ,,,st,e,a,. that 81,
be used in oxidlzlng food. The al
cohol enlarges the arterles and causes
more blood to flow through the lungs
and II this is kept up they become
permanently enlaged and toughened,
thus filling up the air sacs of the
lungs so that there Is not enough
room for the air.
Using alcohol has the same effect
on the body as burning kerosene has
on a stove. With a great deal of
care is may give off some heat, but
1T will begin to smoke, and foul gases
and poisons are given OF, which are
very harmful to the body.
There are three stages Of the eff
fects OF alcohol. The first is stimu-
latIon. the second disturbed action,
and the third paralysis. After alco-
hol is taken It causes more blood
10 flow through the brain and pro-
duces stimulating effect. Most men
take alcohol for this effect, and some
bright men with weak wills only
work when they are under the fnflu-
ence OF liquor and they stay around
the saloons eating little and drinking
much. This weakens the body and as
II is the strongest body that has the
strongest mind. 1t weakens the mind
also.
Next the motor region becomes
disturbed and the man staggers as he
walks and his hand shakes. Then
the most highly developed parts of
the brain. which Is his duty to his
fellow man, becomes disturbed. and
he is selfish and cruel to his friends
and he becomes daring and careless.
Many thief or murderer gets into
this condition so he may commit some
theft or murder. Next Is the stage Of
paralysis when the man is uncon-
scious OF his surroundings because the
sense OF sight and smell are paral
wed and he will lie contentedly in n
fithy gutter. No one should take al
cohoi for any Of the effects which It
n,.o5,,ceq hacausa tho rrona effects