Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-04-18
Alcohol and Tobacco.

| Essay that won trst prize In tne
W. G. T. u, contest, which was
written by Miss Genevieve Norris.)
All food taken into the body will
either build up or tear down. Mr..
Edwards, the noted chemist, says
that a poison is substance that
kills. 1t is something antagonistic
to life. Food supports life; poison
destroys life. Alcohol ls defined as
poison because it acts in a con-
trary way to food.
The body needs food. 1t needs
mineral matter for building up
bone. 1t needs heterogeneous matter
for the support of the muscles. 1t
needs substances containing carbon,
in order to maintain its warmth.
Alcohol contains no mineral matter
and, therefore cannot be a bone
forming food. Alcohol contains no
nitrogen and therefore it cannot be
a muscle forming food. Alcohol
does contain carbon, and 1t might
be called heat-giving food, were
it not for the fact that instead of
maintaining temperature it lowers
it, and instead of making the body
warm it makes it colder. In large
quantities alcohol will kill; in small
quantities it does Injury according
to the amount taken into the body.
The poison, alcohol, has SO many
proper uses that it is amazing it
is not confined to them. 1t is in
almost every perfume. Our flavor
ing essences are dissolved in alco-
hol. 1t makes an excellent qaick
fire, and it is of great service in
therm ometers for it does not freeze
at the same temperature as water.
Alcohol is of immense value to the
scientific world, but the taking of
it into the body is a great misuse of
the poison. This drug makes the
body susceptible to disease, and
there are certain diseases directly
due to the use of alcohol. The eyes
and heart are weakened. Like
strychnine it may cause the heart to
beat faster, but also like strychnine
it is a dangerous drug. There are
few forms of insanity and few dis
eases of the nerves that cannot be
caused by alcoholic drinks.
No person being prepared for
ath letic events is allowed to drink
any beverage containing alcohol.
The athlete requires food that builds
up and gives him strength and
quickness, and since alcohol does
not help, but harm, he dares not
use it. The body does not need
alcohol in any form.
There is something else besides
alcohol that causes men to be weak
physically. This evil is tobacco.
1t is especially harmful to the young.
1t weakens the nerves, and spoils
the effect of good food, and also
lessons the appetite for nutritious
food. 1t contains strong poison
called nicotine, which causes weak
eyes, diseases of the throat, heart
and lungs.
Like alcohol it has the same effect
on the athlete, making him weak
and shortening his breath.
And now after discussing the
effect of alcohol and tobacco on the
body; it is also interesting to notice
the effect on the mind.
People drink wine, beer and
cider and think that these drinks do
not hurt them in the least and nobody
notices that there is anything the
matter with them. But if we open
the brain and apply the microscope,
we would see that serious changes
had taken place. The blood has
been carrying to the brain the alco-
hol these drinks contain, and ii has
injured the nerve cells. Some of the
cells are shruken, and the brain is
smaller. 1t is the alcohol that is
in the beer, wine, whiskey, brandy
and other liquors that causes men
to become drunk. In this state
they have not the power TO reason
correctly, to reason properly; for
memory, judgment, the will and
all the other mental powers are
affected.
The effects of tobacco on the
mind are equally as injurious, es-
pecially when used in the form of
cigarettes. They are heavily drug
ged with opium, and the paper is
usually made from poisons. The
effect of cigarette smoking on the
brain is clearly shown in the follow
ing report of the principle of Chi
,aIoo1.