The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-02-09
1eIlipefaltlnle.S
e 3s8
GREAT ILLS OF ALCOHOLISM
Professor strumpei, Leading Authority
on Nervous Diseases, Gives In
terestlna Experiences.


Professor strumpel. a leading au-
thority on nervous diseases In Bu-
rope. has been giving his medical col
leagues some Interesting experiences
OF his researches In the field OF al
coholism ms Viewed From tho Medical
Standpoint" says a correspondent OF
the Chicago Daily News. In n private
talk before tho most noted medical
scientists in Vienna the professor
outlined In an impassively judicial
manner an appalling number and
variety OF physical and mental dis.
eases resulting from the excessive use
OF alcohol He confined himself
chiefly to the subject of chronic alec
holism. as acute alcoholism was gen
orally the result OF isolated cases OF
intoxication. the effects OF which were
usually only temporary and without
any lasting consequences.
In the beginning he pointed out
that persons who regularly INDUCED
In large quantities of alcohol suffered
from chronic catarrh OF the throat.
stomach and intestines. but. serious
as these were. they didn't usually de
velop further complications and.
therefore. TO the doctor. were Of less
interest But II was another thing
altogether when Il concerns that or.
gan which first introduces alcohol
into the blood-that is, the liver As
sufferers from liver diseases are for
the most part alcoholists ono may
with Justice assume an original con.
nection between such diseases and
tho use OF alcohol; all tho more so az
the patients are usually imbibers OF
"schnaps' and spirits and not OF beer
or wine. so that Is evident the connec.
ton depends largely upon the quantity
and intensity OF the alcohol con
sumcd. Through the liver the alec.
hol enters the great arteries and cir
culates through the whole body Thus
II begins an insidious attack upon tho
vast network OF blood vessels. devel.
oplng later into exclamation Of TIE
arteries and blood vessels. This dis.
ease Is frequently found among drunk
ards. But Il would DO scientifically
wrong TO attribute the calcInatlon OF
the arteries solely to alcoholism. as
II may also result from excessive
smoking. extraordinary oycrwork.
chronic infections. insufficient nutri-
ton and other causes.
A second symptomatlc disease
among drinkers is tho beer heart "
This consists in an extraordinary On
largement OF the heart. with all tho
indications OF heart disease. Men
with beer hearts" almost Invariably
die at an age In which healthy men
have scarcely attained full power by
Incorporate consumption OF nourish.
ing matter fat Is produced which can
consequently II accumulates internally
and IL responsible for the bloatcd cor.
pulency Of beer drinkers. Respiratory
diseases and cases OF suffocation are
the next consequence.
Professor Strumpel passed over the
effects OF alcohol upon the nervous
system and the horrible mental dis
orders. delirium tremens aud the like.
as these, he said. had been 80 fire.
quently and emphatically set forth.
Iio went on to discuss the effects of
alcohol in disturbing tho general func-
tional workings OF the body nantes
ted In such complaints as govt. dia.
betes and kidney diseases. all which.
he said. were found largely among
drinkers.
Among the indirect consequences OF
alcoholism were an increased sensi-
tiyeness with weakened power OF
resistance In the physical system. rem
dering the subject liable to a number
of rayaglng diseases. chief among
which is tuberculosis. II had been
proved that. whereas In
ordinary cases OF Inflammation OF the
lungs normal persons recover. to hard
drinkers the disease almost always
proves fatal.