How does Alcohol weakens the heart

Use of alcohol greatly affects the heart. The excellency of the membraneous structures which cover and line the heart changes and are calloused, become cartilaginous or calcareous. Then the valves lose their suppleness and what is termed valvular turmoil becomes permanent. The structure of the the coats of the great blood-vessel leading from the heart share in the same changes of structure so that the vessel loses its flexibility and its power to feed the heart by the recoil from its distention, after the heart, by its stroke, has packed it with blood.

Again, the muscular structure of the heart fails owing to degenerative changes in its tissue. The elements of the muscular fibre are supersede by fatty cells or, if not so replaced, are themselves shift into a modified muscular texture in which the power of contraction is greatly reduced.

Those who suffer from these organic deteriorations of the central and governing organ of the circulation of the blood learn the fact so perniciously, it hardly breaks upon them until the disobedience is far advanced. They are conscious of a central failure of power from slight causes such as overexertion, trouble, broken rest or too long abstinence from food. They feel what they call a 'sinking' but they know that wine or some other manure will at once relieve the sensation. Thus they seek to relieve it until at last they find out that the remedy fails. The jaded, overworked, faithful heart will bear no more. it has run its course and the governor of the blood-streams wrecked. The current either overflows into the tissues little by little damming up the courses or under some slight shock or excess of motion ceases completely at the centre.