The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-02-16
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ALCOHOL is SUBTLE POISON
lite Action at First Fills Person With
.. Serene SeIf-CompIacency,
Ending Fatally.

A quart of Madeira wine consists OF
two pounds and a little over four
ounces Of water, two ounces of gum
my and tartareous matter. a little
over two ounces OF an oily, resinous
substance, and little over two ounces
of alcohol. Take out the alcohol, and
the remainder of the Madeira wine Is
nauseous mess, which no one would
think OF drinking Take the alcohol
out of beer, and II is a sour slop.
which no sane man would dream OF
taking into his stomach. says the To
ledo Blade. Whisky consists of near
iy equal parts Of water and impure
alcohol the latter, containing fusil oil
and some essential oils derived from
the grain, which give II flavor. II Is
the alcohol which produces intoxica-
| ton. IL imbibed In sufficient quantity.
There is nothing else in any intoxi-
cant which would commend It to the
palate OF any man.
Now, the scientific verdict as to al
cohol is that It is q poison-no more.
no less-and as a poison, its action is
first upon the nerve centers. Its action
is generally at first to I'LL the person
with a serene and perfect self-com-
| placency. His feelings and faculties
are rendered more intense from the
stimulation of the nerves by the poi
son. With most persons this is shown
by increased vivacity. and a tendency
to talk much more than Is usual.
As intoxication progresses, the
senses gradually become hazy. soft
humming seems to fill the pauses in
the conversation, a filmy haze OBJ
scures the vision. the victim finds 1t
difficult to preserve his equilibrium;
next, objects appear double. or fit
confused before the eyes; the drunk
ard becomes boisterous. ridiculous;
articulation becomes difficult. and he
finally falls to the ground insensible
that is, he is dead drunk"
From this state. after period of
deep slumber. he awakes exhausted.
feverish. sick and giddy. with throb-
bling head. ringing ears and bloodshot
eyes.
The poison first affects the lobes OF
the brain, and the other nerve centers
of the cerebro-spinal system are sue
cessfully brought under the influence
of the poison. until. in the state com
monty known as dead drunk" the on
ly ones that are not paralyzed are
those known as the automatic centers,
which regulate and keep up breathing
and the circulation. Enough alcohol
can be taken. however. to paraiyze
these, in which case the deep sleep of
drunkenness becomes a stupor which
passes into death.
There is parallel between apop-
lexy and intoxication. To be drunk is
simply apoplectic. Such Is the action
and its action upon other parts of the
body is no less Injurious.
When an alcoholic drink is taken
into the stomach. the alcohol is rap
idly absorbed through the coats Of
that organ, passes directly into the
circulation, and is carried with the
blood to every part OF the system.
That which goes to the brain pro-
duces successfully the symptoms emu
merated above; that carried to the
lungs begins to be expelled with the
expired breath Of these organs. Ex-
periments have been tried in which
wine was administered In capsules, SO
that not one particle touched the in
terror of the mouth or throat; yet in
two or three minutes the odor of al
cohol was noted on the breath, show
ing that in that short time IL had
been absorbed, passed into the blood
and was being expelled by the lungs.
The blood loaded with alcohol, in
passing through the liver. sets up an
Irritation which frequently causes an
incurable disease to that very impor-
tant organ-cirrhosis of the liver, bet
ter known as "hobnail liver" The
kidneys are stimulated and irritated.
and long indulgence in the drinking
habit leads to incurable diseases in
them. The skin is also affected. and
does its part in expelling the alcohol
from the system. In point of fact all
the excretory organs set at work as
soon as the alcohol gets into the sys-
TEN, in the endeavor to rid the body
OF the poison. The liver. Kidneys
lungs and skin are all over-stimulated
in this effort.
We hope we may have made il clear
In this brief statement of the action
of alcohol that II is absolutely and
: entirely a poison. II is in no sense a
food. 1t Injuries the brain. the nerves
over-excites the heart. irritates the
] stomach. liver and kidneys; never
does any good. but always harm.
There is vast amount OF ignor
ance among the people as TO the rea
nature of alcohol. II is the fewer
number of our people. even at this
date. who are convinced that alcoho
Is a poison: and this ignorance o.
the masses IL one of the bulwarks o.
the traffic We need more education
a especially in the family. in the church
: and In the common schools. as to IN.
|. real nature and effect OF this poten
poison. When the masses of the PEG
!. pie understand its true nature, tire
8 mendous impulse win be given to thu
Q effort to pulverize the rum power.
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