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