The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-10

drinker. Each successive spree leaves
! HIM weaker than before. III closes all
!, tnat civilization has taught MIN. He
j becomes the familiar beast of the gut
ter.
1 Furthermore, every organ, every
tissue, every cell In the human body
Is under the control OF the nervous
system and depends upon that sys-
TEN for its proper functioning. 1t
goes without saying, therefore. that IL
the nervous system Is injured the rest
of the body Will be injured. Injured
nerves cannot properly control the
body; a bad engine cannot run other
machinery very effectively The con-
sequence is that bodily functions are
! below par and bad health results.
AlcohoI INJURIES the nervous system
! by weakening 1t. 1t. therefore, In
jures the body by this indirect means.
Furthermore, alcohol Is direct cell
! poison. 1t puts the cells OF the stom-
| sch and liver and kidneys to sleep
! just as 1t puts nerve cells to sleep. 1t
will kill tpese cells IL In SUFFICIENT
amount But in even the smallest
+ quantity, It exerts some action on the
i cells; 1t depresses them to some de-
gree. And remember. once depressed.
a celia stomach or a liver or a kid
ney built up of cells-never COM
nietely RECEIVERS its original health ana
power and function. Alcohol slowly
in the body. Alcohol slowly but sure
~ kills. Every drink of 1t leaves mind
and body a little weaker, a little less
reliable, than they were before.
Isn't this a pretty stiff price to pay
for a title convivialsty, for a little
stimulation that is not stimulation
at all. but q beast-releastng depres-
sion, a removal of civilized restraints.
a destroyer OF cell function and
health?
Alcohol In undoubtedly q medicine,
tust az atrophine and strychnine and
/ prusstrs acid ara incidents" It ex-
| erts some effect upon tho human Or
ganisr1 an dtherefore il liz capable
of being employed by the physician
in the treatment of disease.
Alcohol used 10 be considered
very valuable and healthgiving agent.
! When insurance companies were first
/ started in the United States. total
/ abstainer was regarded as bad risk.
/ Alcohol was believed to promote
longevity, Centerarians are even now
want to attribute their long survival
/ 10 various brands of whiskey.
( Alcohol, until very recently, was
regarded by physicians as hrst~class
stfuu!ant and was administered In all
cases Of sudden weakness, or Of heart
or lung failure as a restorative. 1t
i was also reEa rded as an excellent tonic
and stimulaut, 10 be administered IN
+ cases OF I'll health and chronic weak
enine diseases.
Alcohol. because Of It's property OF
I evaporatiug at low temperature, was
seen to be an excellent external ap-
fteat!on to cool the body In fevers.
Alcohol, because II is poison to
! cells, was long known to be an Ell
ficient anteseptlc and preventative. IL
killed germs and prevented disease In
living tissue and decay IN dead ones
What does modern medicine think
OF alcohol 81 a medicine. after having
studied 1t carefully in the laboratory
and at the he6stac2
1t knows very well that II is not
a heaHh-eiving agent nor does II pro-
matc longevity II Is poison. II
man lives 70 he q hundred and drinks.
he survives I'm spite Of the aicohol
ana moi because of IT, IT he had NOT
drunk at all nothing bat lightning
could Kill him. probably ASK your
Insurance examiner which the 3nsur-
auce company's experience demon
stratcs 20 be the best risk: the drink
90 or the total ahstainer.
Modern medicine knows that alco-
hol Is NOT 4 flnestimulant. 1t Is there
fore. vaueless Ia cases In which a
fine stimulant is needed, and not
drug which stimulates the heat by de-
pressing the nervous control or tho
L.
cies or in chronic cases, the modern
physician declares that alcohol Is Of
no value as Il sttrnttiant and It's use
ia not safe or scientific,
About all that is left of alcohol as
a medicine lis it's external applications
and It's use as an antlseptic II II
also used in the preparation of MANY
drugs. such az tinctures and eiixtrs
but in them II is not an essential prin-
clpfs, II Is merely a solvent,
10 not even take alcohol for
cold. ii your family doctor Knows his
business. to do SO will give him the
pleasure Of telling you that you are
a fool
Alcohol Is undeuia bly, food, An
OUNCE IF alcohol theoretically. con-
taiii4 about as much food as an egg
Bat would you use as food. especial
~ for the sick. anything that you
knew TO be a rank poison as well
Modern medicine uses alcohol as
food only as a last resort, when the
body can retain nothing else than
LIQUIDS and needs for food that can
quickly be burned UP. And whenever
ii is so used. he physician knows that
the patient will die, In al propahsity'
Il Ia the last, desperate chance.
Would youtser,ously consider using
aleolqDl as n food?
Nv.
j About the only way you or anybody
else can be sure that alcohol positively
will not hurt you is to leave It in the
bottle or the key.
But II you feel that you are obliged
TO drink II, get moderately drunk once
a year. and let it reHs!ousiy alone in
! between times to lei your body re-
cover az much az ii can In that
way. 1t viii not take very many years
81 YOUR life. ii Will not iniure your
brain very much, and while you win
not be as resistant to disease as Jones.
your right hand nesghleor who doesn't
! drink at all, Won will not he as sns-
ceptibie as Smith, your laft-hana
neighhnr, who takes a small glass Of
poison--~pardon. Of wh!skcy-+eyery
day and always knows when to
stop
/. P0TsONS IN SHAKESPEARE
! The poisons mentioned in Shakes
peare's works have been made the
subject OF a study by Dr. cartaz. the
eminent French physician. Ii appears
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