| Dr. Ezra M. Hunt says: "The capacity of the | | | | power, says: "When I say that it, of all |
| alcohols for impairment of functions and the | | | | other causes, is most prolific in exciting |
| initiation and promotion of organic lesions | | | | derangements of the brain, the spinal cord |
| in vital parts, is unsurpassed by any record | | | | and the nerves, I make a statement which my |
| in the whole range of medicine. The facts as | | | | own experience shows to be correct." |
| to this are so indisputable, and so far | | | | |
| granted by the profession, as to be no longer | | | | Another eminent physician says of alcohol: |
| debatable . Changes in stomach and liver, in | | | | "It substitutes suppuration for growth. It |
| kidneys and lungs, in the blood-vessels to | | | | helps time to produce the effects of age; |
| the minutest capillary, and in the blood to | | | | and, in a word, is the genius of |
| the smallest red and white blood disc | | | | degeneration." |
| disturbances of secretion, fibroid and fatty | | | | |
| degenerations in almost every organ, | | | | Dr. Monroe, from whom "Alcohol, taken in |
| impairment of muscular power, impressions so | | | | small quantities, or largely diluted, as in |
| profound on both nervous systems as to be | | | | the form of beer, causes the stomach |
| often toxic these, and such as these, are the | | | | gradually to lose its tone, and makes it |
| oft manifested results. And these are not | | | | dependent upon artificial stimulus. Atony, or |
| confined to those called intemperate." | | | | want of tone of the stomach, gradually |
| | | | supervenes, and incurable disorder of health |
| Professor Youmans says: "It is evident that, | | | | results. Should a dose of alcoholic drink be |
| so far from being the conservator of health, | | | | taken daily, the heart will very often become |
| alcohol is an active and powerful cause of | | | | hypertrophied, or enlarged throughout. |
| disease, interfering, as it does, with the | | | | Indeed, it is painful to witness how many |
| respiration, the circulation and the | | | | persons are actually laboring under disease |
| nutrition; now, is any other result | | | | of the heart, owing chiefly to the use of |
| possible?" | | | | alcoholic liquors." |
| | | | |
| Dr. F.R. Lees says: "That alcohol should | | | | Dr. T.K. Chambers, physician to the Prince of |
| contribute to the fattening process under | | | | Wales, says: "Alcohol is really the most |
| certain conditions, and produce in drinkers | | | | ungenerous diet there is. It impoverishes the |
| fatty degeneration of the blood, follows, as | | | | blood, and there is no surer road to that |
| a matter of course, since, on the one hand, | | | | degeneration of muscular fibre so much to be |
| we have an agent that retains waste matter | | | | feared; and in heart disease it is more |
| by lowering the nutritive and excretory | | | | especially hurtful, by quickening the beat, |
| functions, and on the other, a direct | | | | causing capillary congestion and irregular |
| poisoner of the vesicles of the vital | | | | circulation, and thus mechanically inducing |
| stream." | | | | dilatation." |
| | | | |
| Dr. Henry Monroe says: "There is no kind of | | | | Sir Henry Thompson, a distinguished surgeon, |
| tissue, whether healthy or morbid, that may | | | | says: "Don't take your daily wine under any |
| not undergo fatty degeneration; and there is | | | | pretext of its doing you good. Take it |
| no organic disease so troublesome to the | | | | frankly as a luxury one which must be paid |
| medical man, or so difficult of cure. If, by | | | | for, by some persons very lightly, by some at |
| the aid of the microscope, we examine a very | | | | a high price, but always to be paid for. |
| fine section of muscle taken from a person in | | | | And, mostly, some loss of health, or of |
| good health, we find the muscles firm, | | | | mental power, or of calmness of temper, or of |
| elastic and of a bright red color, made up of | | | | judgment, is the price." |
| parallel fibres, with beautiful crossings or | | | | |
| striae; but, if we similarly examine the | | | | Dr. Charles Jewett says: "The late Prof. |
| muscle of a man who leads an idle, sedentary | | | | Parks, of England, in his great work on |
| life, and indulges in intoxicating drinks, we | | | | Hygiene, has effectually disposed of the |
| detect, at once, a pale, flabby, inelastic, | | | | notion, long and very generally entertained, |
| oily appearance. Alcoholic narcotization | | | | that alcohol is a valuable prophylactic where |
| appears to produce this peculiar conditions | | | | a bad climate, bad water and other conditions |
| of the tissues more than any other agent | | | | unfavorable to health, exist; and an |
| with which we are acquainted. | | | | unfortunate experiment with the article, in |
| 'Three-quarters of the chronic illness which | | | | the Union army, on the banks of the |
| the medical man has to treat,' says Dr. | | | | Chickahominy, in the year 1863, proved |
| Chambers, 'are occasioned by this disease.' | | | | conclusively that, instead of guarding the |
| The eminent French analytical chemist, | | | | human constitution against the influence of |
| Lecanu, found as much as one hundred and | | | | agencies hostile to health, its use gives to |
| seventeen parts of fat in one thousand parts | | | | them additional force. The medical history of |
| of a drunkard's blood, the highest estimate | | | | the British army in India teaches the same |
| of the quantity in health being eight and | | | | lesson." |
| one-quarter parts, while the ordinary | | | | |
| quantity is not more than two or three parts, | | | | But why present farther testimony? Is not the |
| so that the blood of the drunkard contains | | | | evidence complete? To the man who values good |
| forty times in excess of the ordinary | | | | health; who would not lay the foundation for |
| quantity." | | | | disease and suffering in his later years, we |
| | | | need not offer a single additional argument |
| Dr. Hammond, who has written, in partial | | | | in favor of entire abstinence from alcoholic |
| defense of alcohol as containing a food | | | | drinks. He will eschew them as poisons. |