od kind of gas which is necessary to keep us alive;
this gas is called _oxygen_.

When air is taken into the lungs, the oxygen mixes with the blood in them
and makes it pure. If alcohol is in the lungs, it hardens the walls of
their air-cells, and keeps out the oxygen or good gas; at the same time it
keeps in the impure gas, called _nitrogen_, which ought to come out through
the nose and mouth into the air. Thus the blood in the lungs cannot be
properly purified, and goes back to the heart impure blood which is unfit
to be used.

The lungs are also obliged to work faster when alcohol is in them, because
with the heart they are striving to drive out the enemy. This makes the
lungs tired, sore, and inflamed. They are not as strong to do their work,
and are more likely to breathe in any contagious disease than are the lungs
of people who do not drink alcoholic liquors.

Some people go on drinking these poisons for many years, and seem not to be
hurt by them; but at last they suffer from what is called Alcoholic
Phthisis, a kind of consumption which doctors cannot cure.

HARM DONE BY ALCOHOL TO THE
HEART. BLOOD-VESSELS. LUNGS.
Overworks it. Hurries the blood through Makes them work too
Makes it tired. them. fast.
Loads it with fat. Stretches the small Heats and inflames
Softens and destroys arteries and makes them them.
it. unfit to work. Hardens the walls of
Poisons the blood in the their air-cells.
hair-like blood-vessels Keeps in the poisonous
(capillaries). gas.
Keeps out the good gas
(oxygen).
Weakens them and makes
them diseased.

* * * * *

THE BLOOD ("The life ... is in the blood")

Consists of
A colorless liquid (plasma), and
Little, red, circle-shaped bodies (corpuscles).

* * * * *

ALCOHOL (a blood-poison)

Mixes with the colorless liquid, and takes away some of its goodness.

Makes some of the corpuscles
Smaller.
Change shape.
Lose color.
Lose oxy