THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE LIVER AND KIDNEYS.

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 282, 18 December 1918, Page 11

THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE LIVER AND KIDNEYS.

This pa'.MT deals \Mth the effects of alcohol on the liver and kidneys, because diseases of these organs are so common, and because so many sufferer 1 ' do not recognise the connection between beer dunking and liver and kidney troubles. Alcohol, in any form, in beer, wine or spirits, will injure these and other organs of the body, but 1 wish spec iallj to emphasise the harinfuln‘*ss of beer, because so many men and women seem to think it is a harmless drink, a tonic, an aid to digestion, and practically next door to total abstinence. While dealing with these organs, let us not forget that the otlvr organs of the bod\ aie affected in a similar way. The liver the largest glai.,i in the body, and weighs about four pounds. It is also the most important gland of the body, because It) the natur** of its work; (j) its structure; and f 3) its position, li consists of thousands of cells. I here are thre e different types or groups of liver cells, and each group has its own special work. They all work on our food, digesting it, storing it, and changing it in various ways. Part of the duty of these c ells is to >e< rete a fluid c alle d bile, and to pour it into the* upper part of the intestine. 1 his bile of great importance in the digestion of our food specially fatty foods. We shall now deal with the action of alcohol on the* liver. When alcohol is taken in moderate quantities, it is almost entirely absorbed by the stomach. It is taken up In the bloodvessels of the stomac h wall, and is consequently carried straight to the liver, because the liver is the first organ in the path of the absorbed alcohol. The late Sir Vic tor Horsley, whose death all Temperance workers must deplore, in considering tne action of alcohol on the liver, divided the subject into ft) Its action e>n the blood-vessels, and (2) Its action on the 1 liver c ells, the cells proper, and th° fibrous tissue cells. The bloodvessels of the liver —many of which are large—are raoidly dilated even bv small doses of alcohol. They are simply gorged with blood, and this inc reases the weight of th n liver, which cause's discomfort. The sufferer wonders what is the matter, hut in most

cases fails to recognise th.it the habit of taking alcohol is responsible for the miserable feeling. A change of diet may be tried, but no beneficial results will accrue while 1 beer or any other alcoholic liquor is taken. It is a remarkable fact that this engorgement of the* liver usually take s place in the early stages of bc*c*r drinking. Repeated doses render this dilation more and more permanent, and chronic congestion results. I his is how alcohol affects the blood-vessels of the* liver. \Ye will now deal with its action on the liver cells. As already pointed out, there are thousands of these, and they are of various kinds. Alcohol is a cell poison, but it -does not affec t all cells tn the same way. Some of them rapidly sucumb to the poison, while others are irritated in suc h a way that they increase in numbers. The cells which produce the bile, and store the starchy foods are those which are most easily damaged, and quickly succumb to the* alcohol poison. The first change which they undergo, is a swelling which enlarges the whole liver. If drinking is continued, fatty degeneration of the tissues sets in. When this takes place the liver is incapable of doing its work. The action of alcohol on the fibrous tissue cells is different. They are not so easily damaged, i.e., they do not so readily succumb to the i>oison alcohol. The alcohol, which poisons the liver cells proper, simply irritates the fibrous tissue cells, and causes them to multiply. It is the same with cells as with people. Some cannot stand a rough life, while* others take to it naturally, and thrive upon it. The cells which secrete the bile, and store the starchy foods, succumb to the poison more or less quickly, according to the* amount taken, while the fibrous tissue cells are irritated and in< rease in numbers. I his increase of tissue cells is not beneficial. For one thing, “scar tissue” as it is called, is not good working tissue; besides, it not only fills up the space formerly occupied by the liver cells which have succumbed to the alcohol, but also pushes aside and destroys other liver cells. On** ran readily understand that if the working cells are destroyed, and the* space filled up with “scar tissue,” the healthy activities of the liver must be seriously impaired. Another fart must be* emphasised, viz. that it is small

quantities of alcohol constantly filtering through the liver, which causes these changes. Diseases of the liver occur far more frequently as a result of continued taking of small doses of alcohol, than indulging more freely at intervals. A man who gets drunk at intervals, say, on a Saturday night, or at holiday time, will not injure his organs nearly so much as one who daily takes his glass of beer, or something stronger, and who may never be drunk in his life. The work of the kidneys is closely allied to that of the liver. There are two, and weigh about four ounces each. Though small, they are most important organs. Fhey have two special duties to perform. One is to remove from the blood the waste licjuid matter, the retention of which would interfere with the vitality of the various organs of the body. They act as filters, ridding the blood of urea and uric acid. It is absolutely essential to health that these* waste products should be rapidly eliminated from the system. It is equally the du y of the kidneys to prevent the useful constituents of the blood fro<in passing away from that fluid. The most important of the se is albumen, which exists nearly pure in the serum of the blood, as it does in the white of an egg. A healthy kidney will not oermit the albumen to escape from the blood. Albumenuria is sometime*' present even befoy actual d.seas*j of the kidney takes place. Men are often refused life insurance because of this, so it is ejuite clear that the escape of the albumen is a very serious matter. Whatever interferes with the two-fold work of the kidneys must be avoided. And we have abundant testimon> from medical men that alcohol injures the* kidneys .end interferes disastrously with their functions. The structure of the kidneys suffers in much the same way as the liver. Fatty degeneration and increase of fibrous tissue result from the* habitual use of alcohol, even in moderate c|u.entities. The vessels lose their elasticity and power of contraction. These conditions interfere* with the work of the kidneys, and the body becomes subject to “rheumatic” pains, mental degression, and other symptoms of impair'd digestion This is followed bv kidney disease in ont c-f its various forms, frequently diab.tes or Bright’s disease, which in its chronic form is incurable.

It has been said that “the use of spirits causes the kidne>s to become hard and reduced in size, whilst beerdrinking enlarges them and <hanges their structure to a fatty tissue.” Both conditions prevent them doing their proper work. We wish to emphasise the fact that alcohol in any form h.is a disastrous effect on the kidnexs. The beer drinker is very frequently the victim of chronic inflammation of these organs. Most of the facts stated in this pap°r ire taken from Sir \ i< tor Horsley’s book, “Alcohol and the Human body,” but other famous doctors and surgeons have made similar statements, so we need have no hesitaation in accepting these scientific facts. They cannot be gainsaid; eg., Sir William Hull, the late Queen Victoria's favourite physician, when giving evidence before a Royal Commission, said: “There is disease of the liver, which is of very common occurrence, and then from disease of the liver avc get disordered conditions of the blood ; and consequent upon that we get diseased kidneys; we get a diseased nervous system; we get gout; and we get diseased heart.” . . . “1 hardly know any more potent cius.e of disease than alcohol.” In addition to medical testimony, we have vital statistics from Great Britain and the United States of America, which all confirm the testimony of medical scienc e. Life insurance societies make a business of esestimating men’s lives, and can only make money by making correct estimates of whatever influences life. Many societies have two tables—one for total abstainers, and one for those who imbibe more or less freely. The total abstainer gets 10 per cent. ieduction on his premiums, i.e., 2s in each round. Why do insurance companies make such an allowance? They reckon in this way. A healthy young mat of 20, who is a total abstainer, may reasonably expect to live till he is 61. If he is a beer drinker, he will probably not live to be o\ r er 35. If he is 30 when he begins to drink beer, he will probably die between 40 and 45. There is no sentiment about these figures. They are business facts, derived from experience. These societies also give details as to the death-rate of drinkers and non drinkers. They tell us that hotelkeepers tending the bar have a death-rate from liver disease six times the normal; from diabetes, three times

the norma!, from Bright’s disease nearly thiec times the normal. They also tell us that managers and su|M*rintendents of breweries, insuring under 45 years, have a death-rate from Bright’s disease twice the normal, and from liver disease three times the normal. The following table, giving the death-iate per thousand, compiled from the Room of the RegistrarGeneral of Great Britain, some years ago, shows that those who arc engaged making and selling beer and other intoxicating liquors, are more frequently the victims of liver disease than those in any other occupation, however dangerous or unhealthy it may be : Per luoo. Bookbinders ... ... ... 3 Booksellers 4 Hatters q Druggists and Printers ... 18 Gardeners and Miners ... i»> Butchers 21 Brewers 42 Publicans, Waiters, and Barmen 197 Could we possibly have stronger evidence that beer and spirits produce liver and kidney disease, and shorten thousands of precious lives through these diseases? We are greatly indebted to medical science for making known to us the effects of alcohol on the various organs of the body; and to insurance societies, who publish from time to time the disastrous results which accompany and flow from the making, selling, and drinking of beer and other alcoholic liquors. And W.C.T.U. members can best show their appreciation and gratitude by passing on the information to friend or neighbour, as opportunity offer'-. Store the facts in your minds, and be always ready to tell others what you have learned. There is no bette r way of helping forward the Temperance Cause than by education, and the education of the individual is by no means the least effective method of advancing this great movement.