Associated Habils.—Though the bulk of the subjects of alcoholism are smok ers or users of tobacco in some form, the popular idea that tobacco-use largely predisposes to alcoholism seems to be without foundation.
[I have seen only a very few such instances. Only to a limited extent does any other narcotic, such as morphine or cocaine, act as a predisposing influence. NORMAN KERR.] Diseases and Injuries. — In no incon siderable number of cases syphilis pre disposes to chronic alcoholism. Plithisis, gout, rheumatism, malarial poisoning, the neuroses, diabetes, and other ail ments exert a similar influence. In juries and sun-strokes, head-lesions, and heat-apoplexy often leave mental im pairment and inability, which induce sus ceptibility to take on alcoholic narcotic disturbance and addiction.
An intelligent and educated woman never becomes a drunkard but from some deep-rooted and often carefully concealed cause, which may be physical or mental. Lawson Tait (Brit. Med. Jour., Oct. 15, '92).
Diet.—Improper, defective, and badly cooked food, with bad hygienic condi tions, frequently act as predisposing fac tors. A considerable degree of alcoholic predisposition, in the person of the regu lar, limited drinker and his progeny, is the direct effect of chronic alcoholic poisoning. The gradual alcoholic paral ysis of inhibition induces a lessened capacity to resist the narcotizing action of the alcohol.
Most of these influences operate also as causes exciting to intoxication. ln addition, there are nerve-shock in both sexes, the functional crises of puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, maternity, lactation, and the menopause of women, monotonous dullness, and medical pre scribing. Nerve-shock of some kind probably accounts for from a seventh to a sixth of chronic alcoholics.
[In my experience about 2 per cent. of cases have arisen from head injuries immediately after the excitation conse quent thereon; and '/, of 1 per cent. from alcoholic intoxicants medically prescribed. Alcoholic drinks and pro prietary preparations containing alcohol are also taken or given as a "remedy" or "medicine" under non-medical advice, by nurses and other unqualified persons.
NORMAN K Ettit.] A common assertion is that doctors' prescriptions are one of the chief causes of drunkenness. In a study of the sub ject in over 3000 cases of inebriety I was unable to trace the initiation of the alco holism as due to medical prescription in more than '/, per cent.
Pathology.—Protoplasm.—The experi ments of Dogiel, B. W. Richardson, and others indicate that alcohol, even in very small quantities, affects protoplasm, and therefore the entire system. It tends to cause cessation of the amceboid move ments of the white blood-corpuscles, and, through this, increases the liability to suppuration and the sluggish reparative action observed in drunkards. Its gen eral effect is to inhibit vital phenomena inherent in the protoplasm. hindering thereby the resistance of the body to infectious diseases, while the multiplica tion of various bacilli in the presence of even minute quantities of alcohol would seem to indicate that the life and growth of destructive elements are promoted. The blood is improperly aerated and waste material is unduly retained in the body.
The walls of cells inclosing germinal matter are dissolved, free albumin is coagulated. red globules are deprived of part of contents, leaving them shrunken; growth of tumors favored, metabolic action limited. organization of neuro dynia of gray matter reduced or pre vented. Wilkins (N. Y. Med. Jour., Sept. 22, '94).
Alcohol lessens the absorption of oxy gen by the blood-corpuscles and the exhalation of carbonic dioxide. Every function of the body is thereby affected. Prout, Edward Smith, Harley, Sehmiede berg, Vie•ordt, Kerr, and others (Med. Pioneer, Oct., '95).
The continual ingestion of alcohol causes atrophy of elementary organisms, tending to destroy cellular protoplasm and vitality. Cattle (Le Bull. Sled., Aug. 25, '05).
Even in minute quantities alcohol favors the growth of many pathogenic organisms, including those of pus and diphtheria. Ridge (Med. Pioneer, Oct., '95).