Absorption. 191 



resembling the heads of hob-nails. A liver of this kind 

 is called a " hob-nailed liver," or sometimes "gin-drinker's 

 liver." 



Alcohol and the Work of the Liver. The liver is a very 

 important organ for working over the newly absorbed food. 

 All the sugars and digested proteids go directly to the liver 

 through the portal vein. The alcohol is absorbed by the 

 capillaries in the stomach and intestine, and goes with the 

 sugars and proteids. In the first place alcohol acts on 

 the proteid material, coagulating albumen, for instance. 

 The liver is, in part, an organ of excretion ; that is, it 

 throws out waste matter. The use of alcohol injures the 

 liver so that it does not do its work perfectly. Hence we 

 can see why the liver is almost sure to show the effects 

 of drinking alcoholic liquors. Not only is the liver itself 

 injured, but the whole body suffers because of the failure 

 of the liver to do its part of the work of getting rid of 

 waste matter. 



Alcohol and the Vital Organs. "Alcohol exerts its 

 essential and most significant influence on the vital organs 

 by being taken up in the circulation, and thus brought into 

 contact with the cellular tissue of the vital organs. Cirrho- 

 sis of the liver, diseases of the heart, of the arteries, of the 

 mucous membrane of the alimentary canal, along with 

 gout, diabetes, and fatty degeneration, are all ascribed to 

 it." Adolf Striimpell, M.D. 



Alcohol causes Degeneration. The habitual use of alco- 

 hol may result in degeneration of the muscles, heart, brain, 

 nerves, liver, kidneys, or of other organs ; but of course this 

 is not the only cause of degeneration. The use of alco- 

 holic liquors tends to make these other causes active. 



