58 APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY 



of substances they built up the beginning of chemistry, 

 and discovered many things about wine and spirits. 



Above all things, men of eight hundred years ago were 

 seekers for a substance which would make the old young 

 again and prevent the young, from growing old. They 

 believed that there was really such a substance existing in 

 the form of a very light spirit or gas. So they boiled sub- 

 stances in order to collect their gases. When wine was 

 boiled they obtained a new substance which we know as 

 alcohol. 



A famous Arabian, named Albucasis, drank some of the 

 alcoholic liquor which he had made and which was really 

 brandy. He at once seemed to be a young and joyful 

 man again. He told of his wonderful discovery, and by 

 means of his so-called " water of life," he brought back the 

 joys of youth to other old men. They soon discovered 

 their mistake, but found themselves enslaved by the habit 

 of taking the poisonous liquor. Soon all, including Albu- 

 casis himself, died from the effects of the strong drink. 

 Before their time men had become drunk and had died 

 from the effects of wine; but the effects of the distilled 

 liquor were far more rapid and deadly than anything which 

 they had known before. To-day men drink as much 

 brandy and whisky as they do wine. 



Within the last few years men have found out how to 

 make strong drink quickly and cheaply. To do this, how- 

 ever, they must either add poisons or else neglect to 

 remove some which are always found in new liquor. Yet 

 no one can tell the poor liquor from that which is old and 

 pure. Any strong drink is poisonous; but much of the 

 cheap liquor to-day is as much more dangerous than the 

 whisky of fifty years ago as that was more poisonous 

 than the wine of old. 



