| Action on the stomach. | | | | Congestion of the lungs. |
| The action of alcohol on the stomach is extremely | | | | Alcohol relaxes the vessels of the lungs easily as they |
| dangerous that it becomes unable to produce the | | | | are most exposed to the fluctuations of heat and cold. |
| natural digestive fluid in sufficient quantity and also fails | | | | When subjected to the effects of a rapid variation in |
| to absorb the food which it may imperfectly digest. A | | | | atmospheric temperature, they get readily congested. |
| condition marked by the sense of nausea emptiness, | | | | During severe winter seasons, the suddenly fatal |
| prostration and distention will always be faced by an | | | | congestions of lungs easily affects an alcoholic. |
| alcoholic. This results in a loathing for food and is | | | | Alcohol weakens the heart. |
| teased with a craving for more drink. Thus there is | | | | Consumption of alcohol greatly affects the heart. The |
| engendered a permanent disorder which is called | | | | quality of the membraneous structures which cover |
| dyspepsia. The disastrous forms of confirmed | | | | and line the heart changes and are thickened, become |
| indigestion originate by this practice. | | | | cartilaginous or calcareous. Then the valves lose their |
| How the liver gets affected. | | | | suppleness and what is termed valvular disorder |
| The organic deteriorations caused by the continued | | | | becomes permanent. The structure of the the coats |
| use of alcohol are often of a fatal character. The | | | | of the great blood-vessel leading from the heart share |
| organ which most frequently undergoes structural | | | | in the same changes of structure so that the vessel |
| changes from alcohol, is the liver. Normally, the liver has | | | | loses its elasticity and its power to feed the heart by |
| the capacity to hold active substances in its cellular | | | | the recoil from its distention, after the heart, by its |
| parts. In instances of poisoning by various poisonous | | | | stroke, has filled it with blood. |
| compounds, we analyse liver as if it were the central | | | | Again, the muscular structure of the heart fails owing |
| depot of the foreign matter. It is practically the same in | | | | to degenerative changes in its tissue. The elements of |
| respect to alcohol. The liver of an alcoholic is never | | | | the muscular fibre are replaced by fatty cells or, if not |
| free from the influence of alcohol and it is too often | | | | so replaced, are themselves transferred into a |
| saturated with it. The minute membranous or capsular | | | | modified muscular texture in which the power of |
| structure of the liver gets affected, preventing proper | | | | contraction is greatly reduced. |
| dialysis and free secretion. The liver becomes large | | | | Those who suffer from these organic deteriorations of |
| due to the dilatation of its vessels, the surcharge of | | | | the central and governing organ of the circulation of |
| fluid matter and the thickening of tissue. This follows | | | | the blood learn the fact so insidiously, it hardly breaks |
| contraction of membrane and shrinking of the whole | | | | upon them until the mischief is far advanced. They are |
| organ in its cellular parts. Then the lower parts of the | | | | conscious of a central failure of power from slight |
| alcoholic becomes dropsical owing to the obstruction | | | | causes such as overexertion, trouble, broken rest or |
| offered to the returning blood by the veins. The | | | | too long abstinence from food. They feel what they |
| structure of the liver may be charged with fatty cells | | | | call a 'sinking' but they know that wine or some other |
| and undergo what is technically designated 'fatty liver'. | | | | stimulant will at once relieve the sensation. Thus they |
| How the Kidneys deteriorate. | | | | seek to relieve it until at last they discover that the |
| The Kidneys also suffer due to the excessive | | | | remedy fails. The jaded, overworked, faithful heart will |
| consumption of alcohol. The vessels of Kidneys lose | | | | bear no more. it has run its course and the governor |
| elasticity and power of contraction. The minute | | | | of the blood-streams broken. The current either |
| structures in them go through fatty modification. | | | | overflows into the tissues gradually damming up the |
| Albumin from the blood easily passes through their | | | | courses or under some slight shock or excess of |
| membranes. This results in the body losing its power | | | | motion ceases wholly at the centre. |
| as if it were being run out of blood gradually. | | | | |