The Creation of God

by Jacob Hartmann

8. The susceptibility to disease is greater, the resisting force is diminished, and the healing process seriously interfered with.

9. Oxygen is diverted from its proper functions, the exhalation of carbonic acid at the lungs is diminished, both absolutely and relatively, but the pulmonary aqueous vapor is not lessened.

10. The functions of the brain are at once stimulated, and all other organs are excited, and a train of phenomena is induced partly of a chemical nature and partly of a physical or vital.

11. Alcohol produces a temporary increase of the heart’s action, and a congestion of the whole of the pulmonary capillaries.

12. It irritates the parts, stimulating the glandular secretions, leads to congestion of the blood-vessels, in time forms spurious melanotic deposits and a gradual thickening of the gastric substance.

13. Fat gradually is increased in the blood, and a milky character is imparted to the serum of the blood, and the red corpuscles in time assume a wrinkled and contracted appearance.

14. The water of the urine is diminished; the chlorides are greatly lessened, as well as the acids and bases.

Most people are concerned about themselves only to the extent of securing the immediate satisfaction of their senses. The superficial surroundings they utilize to cater to the enjoyment of such indulgences of acquired taste, habit, passion, feelings or emotions, as prove most gratifying to them, never thinking that their constitution is nothing more than a vitalized chemical machine, temporarily passing through its terrestrial cycle of physiological activity, beginning as a mass of protoplasm, and terminating, when it has gone through all the phases of animal existence, in the distribution of its chemical elements.

The deranging effect of alcohol on the nervous and muscular tissues may be compared to the working of an ordinary battery. We know that the action and the force depend on the elements that enter into the composition of the battery, fluids and solids, zinc and copper, and sulphuric acid—representing zinc, copper, sulphur, Oxygen, and Hydrogen. The action of the zinc and copper depends upon the fluids. Other fluids, though composed of three elements, would produce either not the same effect, or no effect at all. It stands to reason that, since we know the kind of fluid that will set the elements in action, we certainly should be very unwise to use another fluid that will either derange or destroy the battery’s working capacity. The forces or force are in this instance produced by the combination of certain elements, and in order to continue the activity or action of these elements one upon the other, a constant supply must be kept up. The mechanism of muscular action, or nervous action, depends upon the supply of certain elements; they are continually replacing elements that are used up in the work they have to perform—that is, the function of brain or muscle. The moment elements are introduced that do not or cannot make up the loss of the working expenditure, that tend rather to disorganize or decompose the tissues, the functions and the natural forces are interfered with, weakened, or may be brought to a standstill.

The effect of alcohol is much the same on all animals. I mean, that the master tissues of the lower animals will succumb to the influence of alcohol as readily as those of a human being. We know with certainty what gets drunk—where is the spiritual part of man? where is the soul? When the brain is intoxicated, its functions are more or less suspended, its controlling or governing action is lost over the muscular tissue, in addition to the muscles themselves being disabled. Both tissues, having been robbed of their elementary equilibrium, consequently cease working. The moment the equilibrium is reëstablished, the tissues assume their functions the same as before. If a given number of specific parts enter into the construction of any mechanism in order to produce a certain amount of force and effect, the number of specific parts must always be present if the same force and effect is to be realized. Brain and muscle are made up of a specific number of elements; these must be always present if we would have them produce the normal force and effect. When too much Carbon and Hydrogen and too little Oxygen are introduced into the system, as in the case of alcohol, the derangement of these elements is felt in the poisonous effect, because enough Oxygen cannot be supplied to keep up with the demand.