Properties And Actions Of Wine

Wine is heat-making in its potency, keen or sharp in its properties, subtile in its essence, acts as a soaker or cleanser of moisture and albuminous matter (Vis'ada), is dry, and instantaneous in its action (As'ukara), stimulating or exhilarating in its effect (Vyavayi) and is diffusive (Vikasi). It destroy cold and shivering by virtue of its heat-making potency. It suspends all cognitive process (lit.-intellectual motions) on account of its keenness or sharpness, enters into every limb and member of the body by reason of its subtlety (Sukshmatva), destroys Kapha (phlegm) and semen in virtue of its Vais'adya, enrages or aggravates the bodily Vayu on account of its dryness (Rukshmtva), and is instantaneous in its action by reason of its As'ukaritva. It is exhilarating on account of its Vyavayitva and diffusive (coursing swiftly all through the body) for its Vikas'itva. Wine is acid in its taste, is light and appetising, and produces fresh relish for food. Others assume the presence of all the tastes except the saline one in it. 3 - 4.

Wine taken in combination with cooked meat and boiled rice, or any other articles of food profusely saturated with a Sneha (clarified butter, etc.) adds to the longevity, muscular strength and corpulency of a person (using it in moderate quantities) and to the exhilarated state of mind accompanied with beauty, fortitude, vigour and valour and these benefits one may derive from the proper use of wine. This fiery liquid in combination with the aggravated bodily fire ( Kaya-Agni ) produces the symptoms of intoxication and unconciousness, etc. ( Mada ) in a foolish person taking it without food or in an empty stomach and in an inordinate quantity. 5.

Evil Effects Of Drinking

Excessive drinking produces incidental nescience which gradually creeps into and clouds the sense-perceptions, destroying all power of self control (control over the sense-organs) and giving publicity to the innermost thoughts (in the mind) of the intoxicated person. 6.

Three Stages Of Alcoholic Intoxication

There are three stages of intoxication - viz., the first, the second or intermidatc and the third or last. The first or preliminary stage ( of intoxication ) is marked by an exhilarated state of mind with increased valour, and conviviality as well as satisfaction and talkativeness, etc. The second or intermediate stage is indicated by incoherent speech, exhilaration and the performance of proper and improper acts. In the third or last stage the man lies down unconscious, bereft of all powers of action, of memory and of judging the ethic effects of his acts. 7.

A man who is in the habit of taking fatty food or in whom Sleshma predominates, or in whose constitution, there is only a little of Pitta, is not so easily affected by the action of wine, which, however, proves distressing in a person of contrary nature. Wine, if taken daily without food by a man in an empty stomach, gives rise to many distressing and dangerous diseases in his organism and leads to the ultimate dissolution of his body. 8-9.