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What Is Alcohol?

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 9, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 6.

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What Is Alcohol?

By T. Alexander MacNicholl

ALCOHOL is an excrement of the yeast fungus, a parasite which is midway between a plant and an animal. Chemically it is a compound of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and it is ninety-one per cent by weight ethyl alcohol, and nine per cent by weight water. From its physiological action, we denominate it a narcotic poison. Ethyl alcohol is found nowhere in nature. Wheat may blight in the field, corn rust on the stalk, apples rot on the branch, grapes wither on the vine, but you will find no alcohol. Man's inventive genius brought it into operation. The starch granules are broken by mechanical pressure; and under special conditions of heat and moisture, decomposition is secured. The yeast fungus finds environment favorable for the operation of its physiological functions, and excretes that subtle spirit which is known in the world's market as spirits of wine, beer, brandy, whisky, etc., but which scientifically is called alcohol. — T. Alexander MacNicholl, M. D.